The Road That Will Lead Me Home
by Sierra Rose 22
Summary: Now that Adam Cartwright and Alissa Anderson are engaged nothing could spoil their happiness, until Alissa makes the wrong decision and she suddenly finds the life that she has come to love, quickly changed. Join her in her journey as she must find a way to get back to Adam Cartwright, the love of her life. This is #12 in the series.
1. Chapter 1

All recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plots are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

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 **The Road That Will Lead Me Home**

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The early morning sun was lightly filtering through the lace curtain at the window and remnants of the sunrise breakfast could still be seen on the dinning room table. The soft steady tick of the Grandfather clock as it counted away the minutes was the only sound that could be heard in the great room on the Ponderosa this morning, until a deep chuckle filled the air.

Adam and Alissa were having some private moments saying their goodbyes before Adam left with Hoss to mend any fences that were down in the lower pasture. They were the only two left in the room while the rest of the family patiently waited outside. Adam sat in the blue chair with Alissa contentedly sitting on his lap until she heard him laugh. After hearing Adam's reaction to her latest comment about them being apart, she let out an exasperated sigh then shifted and adjusted her position on his lap. Still, she couldn't help but smile at him as she watched his hazel eyes twinkle with amusement at her latest comment, so she lovingly reached up and stroked his cheek.

"I know, I know, it won't be eternity, but it sure will seem like it while you are gone, so don't you laugh at me!"

"Oh, sweetheart, I know it will be hard on you. But you have to agree, your comment about eternity is rather amusing beings I am only going to be gone three days."

Alissa sat up straighter as she frowned at Adam. "Three days! You said two days. Now it will be three days that we are apart?"

"Now don't get so upset. I am hoping it will only take us two days to check and mend any broken fences. But just incase we run into more fences down than we expected, it may take three days. You act like this is the first time we have been apart. You do remember we were apart when you were kidnapped, don't you?"

"Yes I know, but that was different. I was trying to get back to you and the time didn't seem to matter so much. Now I will be staying here trying to find things to keep me occupied, and because of the hanging I can't even go to town and see my friends! So three days will definitely seem like forever!"

Adam let out another soft chuckle. "Oh now it has changed from eternity to forever."

Taping his chin with one of his long, slender fingers as if he was thinking, Adam couldn't help but grin wickedly. "Hmm, I wonder which is longer?"

Giving Adam a slight pinch on his side Alissa crossed her arms. "Oh now you are making fun of me!"

After letting out a fake grunt from being pinched, Adam laughed and pulled her close.

"No, sweetheart, I am not making fun of you. But you are exaggerating just a bit. I know it will be hard, but it just couldn't be helped. Hoss and I have to be the ones to do this job because Pa just can't spare anyone else. Joe has to finish up overseeing the last of the horses for the Calvary's order that is due next week. And even though Pa wouldn't admit it, it is an awfully hard job and I would rather he not have to do it. So it falls to Hoss and me."

Giving Alissa a tight squeeze he kissed the top of her head as he held her close. "So please be understanding, little one, alright?"

"I know, and I really do understand. I am just venting and I'm sorry if I sound childish about this. I guess I keep having a funny feeling about us being apart. I can't put my finger on it, but it just seems as if it will be longer than you think. Besides, I can't help it if I love you so much and hate to be apart from you for very long. I do realize though that ranch life will have us apart many more times in our future, so I guess I might as well start getting use to it."

Lifting her head to meet his gaze Ali quickly changed her mood as she flashed a saucy grin. "But can I help it if you are just so handsome and sexy for this poor, love struck girl that I can't be without you very long before succumbing to a full out faint!"

Adam practically lost Alissa off of his lap as he tried to hold in his laughter at her amusing remark. But he easily grabbed her and put one arm around her back and the other under her legs as he stood up with her in his arms. She was a little startled at first, but soon put her arms around his neck as she felt herself being swung around.

"Oh my beautiful and delightful girl, you have made me laugh and smile more since you came into my life than I ever did before. And we both know that you are definitely not the swooning type, so I don't think that will ever happen," Adam chuckled, as he leaned over and lightly kissed the tip of her nose.

"You do know this time apart will be hard on me too! So don't forget, we will look at our moon every night and think of each other and I will be home before you know it. Now kiss your lord and master and make it good so I can think of nothing else when I am looking at that moon."

Adam lowered his head and when their lips met, all that Alissa could think of were his strong arms holding her tight and his sweet mouth seeking the warmth of her waiting lips. At first he teased the entrance of her mouth, but soon his kiss intensified and the thought of giving him a piece of her mind for the "lord and master" comment quickly vanished as she became lost in the velvety softness of his mouth.

The sound of someone clearing their throat finally brought them back to reality. "Sorry, Adam, but Pa told me to come and get you cause it's time to get going." Joe blushed slightly for the interruption then quietly pulled the door shut.

Regrettably ending his kiss, Adam slowly pulled back as he whispered against Alissa's lips. "It's time for me to go. Remember I love you, my little trouble maker, all the way to the moon and back."

"Yes, all the way to the moon and back, my love," Ali said breathlessly, then they shared one more long, lingering kiss before Adam gently set her back on her feet and reached for her hand as they went out the front door.

"Well it's nice to finally see you two! It's a good thing you won't be gone for a week, Adam, or we would still be waiting."

Ben couldn't help but grin as he watched Adam and Alissa come out the front door and walk over to stand beside the wagon where Hoss was sitting before he turned towards Hoss.

"Now, you sure you have all the supplies you two will need, Hoss?"

"Yes sir. I checked and double-checked and even added a few extra. I got plenty of wire and posts just incase there are more fences down than we figured. Hop Sing packed plenty for us to eat, so I'm a happy man. We're gonna stay in the line shack the first night and then camp out the next night or two, so I packed the bed rolls and extra blankets too."

Walking over and giving Hoss a brotherly pat on the back Adam smiled. "Well it sounds like you have us all taken care of little brother. Good Job! Now it seems like the only thing left for me to do is to kiss my beautiful girl here one more time, and then we will be on our way."

Adam leaned over and put his hands around Alissa's waist and lifted her up until she was eyelevel with him to give her that kiss. At first she let out a surprised squeak at suddenly being picked up off of her feet. But she quickly grinned and wrapped her arms around Adam's neck as their lips met for one final kiss. Finally Ben decided the kiss needed to end or they would be here all day with these two saying their goodbyes, so he started clearing his throat rather loudly to give them an obvious hint.

As Adam begrudgingly ended their kiss, he ran the tip of his tongue over Alissa's bottom lip ever so lightly before gently setting her on the ground in front of him. Then he went over to Sport and swung up in his saddle leaving Alissa standing with a very contented smile on her face.

Looking over at Ben and Joe, Adam nodded his head in their direction. "We'll see you in a few days, and please take special care of my bride to be."

"Of course we will," Ben answered, as he shook his head and smiled.

Then Adam turned to look at Alissa and winked and touched the front on his hat as he smiled until those dashing dimples of his appeared. "Be sure and look for that moon tonight, sweetheart."

"I will, cowboy," Ali replied smiling slyly, as she continued to enjoy the sensuous feeling that his tongue had left on her lips from his final kiss.

"Well you better get on the road you two so you can get started on the down fences, and please be careful and watch out for each other." Ben's expression softened as he tapped the side of the wagon.

"We always are." Hoss grinned as he tipped his hat at Alissa and slapped the reins against the horses to start them on their way.

Alissa continued to stand in the same spot for the longest time as she watched Adam and Hoss leave the ranch until she could barely see them in the distance. A single tear started to roll down her cheek as she blew a kiss in Adam's direction.

Seeing how sad Alissa was acting, Ben walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, honey, he will be back before you know it."

"Oh I know. I guess I am just being overly emotional today."

"That's understandable, after all you two are in love. And believe it or not, I remember how that was. Now then, tell me what you plan to do while he is gone?" Ben squeezed her shoulder to try and comfort her.

"Well, I think I might catch up on some reading and maybe learn a few new recipes from Hop Sing."

The two of them started walking towards the house with Ben's arm still around Alissa.

"That sounds good and should keep you busy. I am going to be pretty busy myself. I have some paper work to catch up on first and then I promised Sheriff Coffee that I would come to town and help during the hanging."

Ali looked startled as she turned to Ben. "I thought you said it is dangerous in town during this time?"

"It can be, and that is exactly why the sheriff asked me to help him and the deputies keep the peace."

"But will you be safe?"

"Oh now don't you worry," Ben said fondly, as he looked down at Alissa's worried expression.

"I have done this a few times before and I know what to do, so I will be just fine. Joe will be here with you and of course Bill and several of the other hands will be here too. So you will be well taken care of."

"Oh, I am not worried about that. I just want you to be safe."

"That is sweet of you to worry about me, Alissa, but all will be fine. Now let's go and see what Hop Sing has to snack on, shall we? I didn't eat much breakfast and I am hungry!"

"Me too," Ali laughed, as the two of them went in the house in search of some of Hop Sing's tasty baked goods.

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The morning went by quickly after Alissa found the book Romeo and Juliet and had decided to read it. The story of the fated lovers was just what she needed to take her mind off of Adam being gone, even though she knew it ended badly for them. But she finally grew tired of reading this sad story and set the book down and stretched before standing up.

"Geez, I think my foot went to sleep. I was into that story so much that I didn't even realize I hadn't changed my position," she laughed, before rubbing her foot trying to make the tingling go away. After a few minutes with her foot returning to normal, Ali yawned and stretched once more before letting out a sigh.

"Hmm, I definitely need some exercise now and I know just the thing for me to do. I will go and give my beautiful horses a good brushing, and then go down and watch Joe with the new horses," Ali said out loud, as she headed for the stairs.

Of course she was talking to herself as usual because Hop Sing was the only one left in the house beside her, and he was in the kitchen. And Ben had left for town about an hour before promising to return home later tonight. As Ali headed for her room to change into clothes that were more appropriate for chores, she hummed softly to herself as she walked up the stairs.

A few minutes later she was standing in front of her armoire trying to decide what to wear when she spotted the jeans that she had been wearing when she first came to the ranch. After Adam had taken her to town to get new clothing, she had put them in the back of her armoire and only worn them a time or two because Adam and Ben didn't really approve of them. They were tight, she had to admit, and she smiled when she remembered the look on their faces when she had worn them. But hey, she thought, neither one is here now so maybe I will wear the whole outfit I had on that day…just for kicks.

Reaching for the blue blouse, short jacket and jeans, Ali pulled them from the armoire and went and sat down on the bed to remove her shoes. But as she started to take off her shoes to put on her work boots, a thought came to her. Why not wear my old boots too? The boots she had arrived in had a rather high heel and she only had to wear them a few times before she realized they were definitely impractical for this century. And so she purchased some boots with a low heel to do chores and go riding and put the modern boots into the armoire and forgotten them. After rummaging through the back of the armoire, she finally retrieved the boots and went over to her mirror and held the whole outfit in front of her as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Well you certainly do look modern again, Ali gal. But why not go for the whole effect and wear my modern underwear too. Then I will feel like my old self from head to toe," she decided, as she set the clothes on her bed and went to the dresser to retrieve her modern underwear that was hidden safely away under her other underclothes. She had often thought about getting rid of them after Rebecca had been snooping in her room and discovered her bra. But she just couldn't do away with the few things that still tied her to her own time, so she just continued to keep them hidden.

Twenty minutes later Ali was dressed in her modern clothes and couldn't help but feel like her old self again. The clothes Ben had purchased for her to wear now were really quite lovely, but she just couldn't help but miss the feeling of dressing as she did in her own time. For a moment she became rather melancholy as she looked into the mirror at the girl she use to be and thought of her life as it was before she had stepped back in time. But she quickly shook the feeling off as she thought of her new life with Adam. He really was the man of her dreams, and even though she missed a lot of the modern conveniences, her place was with Adam now.

As Ali took one last look in the mirror she had to giggle. "Well this probably isn't the best outfit to go and work with horses, but I don't care. Today for a little while I am just being my old self and be damn with comfort!"

As she headed out the door she suddenly remembered one final thing she needed before she left her room and quickly grabbed the watch Adam had given her off of the dresser and stuck it safely in her pocket.

"Hop Sing, I will be in the barn," Ali called out, as she grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table and then reached for her cowboy hat from the hat rack and headed out the front door. As soon as she got close to the barn Freedom started running back and forth along the corral fence tossing his head up and down trying to get her attention.

"Don't worry, my beauty, I see you. So are you ready for a good brushing? I bet that will make you feel good. And when I am finished with you, I will work on Shylo. Then if I can get Joe or Bill to go with me, maybe we can go for a short ride when I am finished."

Climbing through the rails and into the corral, Ali walked over to Freedom and hugged him around the neck before letting him have the apple that she had tucked away in her pocket. He was smart though and knew it was hidden in her pocket, so he kept nudging her as she laughed and pushed him away before finally retrieving it and holding it out for him to enjoy.

"Oh, my sweet boy. You knew I had a treat for you in my pocket, didn't you? You are just too clever and know me too well, boy." She laughed softly, as she stroked him with her free hand trying to untangle his mane with her fingers.

Ali let Freedom finish his apple before she gave him a kiss on his forehead and tehn headed for the barn with him casually following behind her. She never needed a rope or halter to take him with her because he would just follow her wherever she went. She had never trained him to do this; he just always wanted to be close to her whenever she was with him and would follow her just like a faithful dog. Soon they walked into the barn and she settled him into one of the back stalls before she went for the brush to begin his brushing. But something odd caught her eye as she was heading for the tack room, so she quickly turned and faced the wall at the back of the barn.

"HOLY CRAP… THE DOOR IS BACK!"

Alissa couldn't believe her eyes as the door that she had come through so many months ago was now right in front of her on the back wall of the barn. Or at least it looked like the same door. She couldn't be sure though. She had checked for it so many times after she first arrived. But each time she checked, there was nothing on the back of the barn but a few spiders and the blank wall. So why now, Ali wondered, as she slowly went towards the back of the barn and stared at the door that had suddenly appeared from nowhere?

She wasn't sure if she should get close to it at first so it took her a minute to finally get up the courage to walk over to the wall. She decided to study it for a moment longer before carefully putting her hand on the door. It really looked the same and even felt rather warm to the touch, just like it had so many months ago when she first came here. Of course all those months ago when she had first gone back to the barn to leave after her discussion with the Cartwrights, the door wasn't there. It was like it had disappeared into thin air. Adam and Joe had thought she was crazy and told her there was no door in the back of the barn and figured the bump on her head had caused her to have hallucinations.

But gradually she came to the conclusion, that for some reason, she had traveled back in time to a real Ponderosa and real Cartwrights. It had seemed rather crazy at first, but as time went on she settled in and accepted her new life. And the rest is history she thought, as she pondered what to do about the door.

"What should I do? Should I open it or should I go and get Joe so he can see it too?" Ali muttered, as she paced back and forth in front of the door trying to decide what to do.

"I know they both thought I was crazy at the time, but now I can prove it. Okay, so go and get him silly and quit standing here talking to yourself!"

Ali kicked at the dirt in front of her as she kept talking to herself. "Yes, but what if the door leads Joe to the future if he opens it? I sure wouldn't want anything to happen to him because if me. Maybe I should just open it myself to see what happens."

Ali started nervously twirling her hair around her finger as she kept trying to decide what to do.

"Yeah, but if I wait too long and it disappears then I have nothing to show Joe to prove there really was a door. Nope, I am going to show it to him so they will finally know where I came from. I just hope Joe can take the shock of it all, not to mention my Adam when he gets back."

Ali sighed in resignation as she turned and headed for the front of the barn.

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Climbing up on the corral rail Ali pulled her hat lower over her eyes to block the hot sun. As she sat on the rail she looked around before finally seeing Joe over by the hands as they held on to one of the new horses waiting for Joe to mount.

Cupping her hands Ali shouted over to Joe. "Joe, I really need to speak with you right now! It is an emergency!"

As soon as Joe heard this, he left the hands and quickly ran over to Ali.

"What's the matter? Are you hurt? What is the emergency, Ali?" Joe demanded, as he stood at Ali's feet worriedly looking up at her sitting on the rail.

"No, I am not hurt. But I do need to show you something in the barn. You have to come right now or it might disappear again!"

"Are you kidding me? You had me so worried and all you want to do is show me something in the barn? Is it a snake or something?"

"No, Joe, it's not a snake. But it is really important and you must come with me right now!" Ali insisted, as she jumped down off of the railing to stand in front of Joe and grab his arm.

"Look Ali, I am just getting ready to ride that new horse over there and I can't come right now. But if you just wait here for me to finish, then I will go with you and see just what emergency has you all bothered."

Joe grinned as he lightly tapped the front of Ali's hat tipping it down over her eyes. "Now just go and sit on the top rail and be patient, or as patient as _you_ can be, and I will come with you when I am finished."

Then he turned and went back to the frowning hands who weren't very happy with having to keep holding on to this nervous horse while waiting on Joe to finish his conversation.

"Men, you're all alike! Stubborn mules that never listen!" Ali complained, as she climbed back up on the top rail.

"And you Cartwrights are the worst!" She yelled over in Joe's direction, but he was too involved to hear her.

"I guess I will just have to wait for him to finish because there is no changing a Cartwright's mind once it is made up."

But after watching Joe for a few more minutes as he got ready to sit the new horse, Ali angrily kicked the railing with her foot.

"I can't wait for him, I need to get back to the door to make sure it hasn't gone," she muttered, as she jumped down from the corral and hurriedly walked back to the barn.

Freedom was still in the back stall waiting as Ali entered the barn. Realizing she had left him in the stall, she walked over and let down the rope at the front of the stall and rubbed his ear.

"I'm sorry, beauty, but I got sidetracked. You need to go outside now because I don't know how long it will be before I can brush you…so get going, boy."

Ali gently slapped his rump to send him on his way, but Freedom didn't budge.

"Go on now boy…get going!"

Ali slapped him again but Freedom started eating on some hay as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Freedom, you are as stubborn as the Cartwrights!" Ali grumbled, as she shrugged her shoulders and then turned to look at the back wall.

"Well, it's still there, Freedom. What do you think I should do? Maybe I will just open it a little to see what is there. Then I will have an idea what to expect before Joe gets here."

Deciding that is what she will do, Ali slowly walked over to the back wall and stood right in front of the mysterious door.

"Alright now, Ali, are you sure you want to do this? Maybe I should just leave it alone and see if it goes away. Or maybe it only appears to me and when Joe comes he won't see it and really think I am loco. Plus, I don't really want to go back to my own time now that I have found Adam. I am happy here."

Ali leaned in closer to the door and put her hand out to touch it. "Maybe I will just open it and step in just to see what happens. But what if I end up going somewhere else in time? This really has been a bizarre experience for sure, Freedom. What do you think I should do?"

Freedom moved his head up and down as if agreeing with her then went back to eating.

"Well a lot of help you are, boy," Ali laughed, as she continued trying to decide what to do.

"Okay, I have never been a chicken about things before and I'm sure not going to start now. I think I will just open the door and see what is there because not knowing is driving me crazy," she declared, as her hand slowly reached for the doorknob.

Ali quickly touched the doorknob then nervously pulled back her hand. But eventually after letting out a long, slow breath, she grabbed the doorknob and turned it slowly as she pulled the door towards her. At first the door seemed to stick, so she gave a hard tug before it finally opened and she stood in front of the open doorway. It was very dark and she couldn't really see anything at all, so she leaned forward slightly to get a better look. Suddenly a strong gust of wind came out of the doorway and blew her hat off of her head with its force. Ali turned around to get her hat, but before she could bend down to retrieve it, she was sucked into the doorway and the door slammed shut behind her as the mysterious door disappeared once again.

All the noise startled Freedom as he backed out of his stall and then headed out the barn as Joe was starting to come in.

"Hey, boy, what's got you so spooked," Joe exclaimed, as Freedom ran past him almost knocking him over.

"Ali, are you in here?" Joe called, as he walked into the barn.

When there was no answer Joe looked around for her until he got to the back of the barn.

"Where are you, Ali? And just what was so important that I had to come here so urgently and now you aren't even here."

Joe was furious with Ali for taking him away from his work and frowned as he started to leave. Then he spotted a hat lying on the ground in front of the back wall. He walked over and picked it up. As he studied the hat he soon realized it was Ali's hat, which was rather odd because she was nowhere in the barn.

 **TBC**

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Well my lovely readers, I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I have been very busy with real life. Plus I have had a major case of writer's block. So it took me a while to decide where I wanted this story to go, and so I let my muse take us on a new adventure. I know some of you might be a little surprised at where this story is going, but I have had several readers ask me about what Ali might do about her other life, so this is how I chose to tell the story. Now you all know how determined Ali is when she wants something, so a little thing like a few centuries is NOT going to keep her apart from Adam for long. So hopefully you will let me know what you think as you see what she has to do to get back to the love of her life. ~ Sierra


	2. Chapter 2 Memories

The Road That Will Lead Me Home

Chapter 2

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"Miss, Miss, are you alright?"

Alissa could hear a voice but it seemed as if it was very far away. She felt herself being lightly shaken and when she finally opened her eyes, she looked up at a young man with a very worried look on his face staring down at her.

"Are you alright? Do I need to get you a doctor?"

Alissa started to speak but the inside of her mouth was very dry, so it took her a moment to even form words to answer his question.

"I think I am okay. Just a little groggy and my mouth is very dry," Alissa answered, almost in a whisper as she sat up and looked around at her surroundings.

"Where am I anyway?"

"Well, you are in the back room of our gift shop. I just came in to put some things away before closing and found you on the floor. You know customers aren't suppose to be back here. It is against the rules. So just how did you get here anyway?"

Alissa sat up straighter as she glanced around the room. The lighting wasn't the brightest and her eyesight wasn't at its best just yet, so she had to squint slightly to see where she was. To her left were shelves with boxes and merchandise on them, and big boxes that looked like they had not been opened yet lined the wall to her right. It was obvious that she was in a storeroom, but what storeroom and where?

"So how did I get here?"

Looking rather perturb the clerk answered as he reached over to help her to her feet.

"Well I certainly can't tell you. But you really need to go back out to the front now. It is past closing and I want to go home! It has been a simply awful day for me, with rude customers and an impatient boss nagging me all the time to keep the shelves stocked with all you crazy tourists wanting western merchandise…especially anything to do with Bonanza."

Suddenly when he said the word Bonanza, memories started coming back to Alissa.

"Oh yeah, I went on the tour of the Ponderosa and then came here to buy some things to take back to my friends…I remember now. I was standing in line with a postcard when I saw another door at the back of the shop that I hadn't gone through and thought it might have more things to buy. So I went through the door, but how did I end up on the floor?"

The clerk frowned as he straightened his vest and peered over his black horned rim glasses. "Well I certainly can't tell you. I should really call my boss and have them search you to see if you stole anything."

Alissa was starting to feel better now and this skinny, rude clerk was starting to get on her nerves.

"Listen, buster, you don't have to be so rude. I certainly didn't steal any of your stupid merchandise. Besides, where would I put it?" Alissa asked angrily, as she looked down at her tight jeans.

"And I sure didn't put anything in my purse either. Wait, where is my purse anyway?" Alissa realized she didn't have her purse and started looking around on the floor but didn't see her purse at all.

"Oh that's just great! It looks like I have been robbed! Here you are accusing me of theft and it looks like I am the one who has been robbed!" Alissa declared furiously, as she poked her finger in the clerk's skinny chest.

"Oh dear, oh dear. Maybe you have been robbed. What should I do? I am the only one left here and I don't know what to do."

"Okay, okay, now look this is what we are going to do…just what is your name anyway?"

"My name is Percy."

"Your name is Percy?" Who would name their poor kid Percy she thought, trying to keep from grinning as she looked him up and down. He really was a sight in his brown corduroy trousers, plaid shirt and black knit vest. And his red hair was rather unruly as it curled every which way around his head. The name certainly suited him, but he really did look like he definitely had a bad day if his appearance had anything to do with it. Taking pity on him as she watched him ring his hands with worry, Alissa decided to take charge of the situation.

"Now then, Percy, let's first look around the whole area to see if maybe my purse is under something. Then we will go from there, okay?"

"Yes, that sounds like a plan. What does your purse look like?"

"It is brown leather with a shoulder strap and a gold buckle on the front. It probably is the only purse in the room," she said sarcastically, as she started walking around the room looking for it.

A few minutes later Percy came running up to her. "Is this yours?" he asked, slightly out of breath as he handed her a blue wallet.

"Yes, that is my wallet. Where did you find it?"

"It was over by the back wall."

Alissa walked to the back of the room where Percy was pointing.

"That's odd, how did it get way over here? Did you find anything else?" Ali wondered out loud as she started going through her wallet.

"No, that is all and I have looked over the whole entire room."

"Me too and no purse or cell phone to be found. Do you think they just took my purse and cell phone and left my wallet? That is rather odd as all my money and credit cards are still here. You would think if they wanted to rob me they would have taken my wallet."

"Well maybe you weren't robbed," Percy said frowning, as he leaned against one of the counters with his arms crossed over his chest. He was running out of patience, and really just wanted this girl to go away so he could go home and have some popcorn and a diet soda as he watched Dancing With the Stars.

"Well my stuff didn't just walk away!" Alissa stood with her hands on her hips glaring at Percy. "And why was I unconscious when you found me?"

"I am sure _I_ don't know! You were that way when I found you. But look, why don't we just file a report about your missing things and maybe they will show up. It is too late to catch the bus back to town now, but we have a quaint little bed and breakfast that you could stay in until tomorrow when the bus comes back. Then you could come back in the morning and check with me to see if your missing things show up." Percy smiled half-heartedly hoping she would agree to his plan.

Letting out a slow breath Alissa pondered what to do. "I just want to know what happened to me after I came through that door. It just is all so strange that I can't remember, don't you think?"

"I suppose so, but you know if you would have just stayed in the store and not gone snooping then maybe this wouldn't have happened." Percy smirked as he reached for her arm to hurry her out of the storage room.

"Now if you would just come along I will get you some water from the break room and then I really need to close up."

Alissa slapped his hand away as she glared. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, buster, I'm going. And kindly keep your hands off of me!"

Percy pulled back his hand and stared at Alissa wide eyed in surprise. He for sure didn't have the faintest idea what to do with this annoying, and at the moment very angry customer yelling at him.

"What are kickers?"

Rolling her eyes Alissa tried not to laugh. "You work in an shop that sells old-fashioned items and are around everything that is from the past and you don't know what knickers are?"

Shaking his head Percy answered softly. "No. What are they?"

"Your underwear."

Turning three shades of red Percy almost choked. "Oh dear me, why are you referring to my underwear?"

"It is just an expression, Percy."

"Oh, well listen, Miss, I just really want to go home now. So beings you have your money and credit cards, why don't you just go to the bed and breakfast down the street and get a good night's sleep, and then maybe in the morning you will remember what happened. Are you feeling well enough to do that?"

Sighing heavily Ali nodded in agreement. "I suppose I am okay now and I do have all my money and credit cards. So let's go," she agreed, as she followed Percy out of the storage room.

Percy made a short stop on the way to the front of the store and went into the break room to get Alissa a bottle of water. She just leaned against the doorway watching him retrieve the water.

"Here, I hope this will help with your thirst," Percy said smiling, as he handed her the bottle.

After taking a large drink, Alissa couldn't help but grin as she looked at this tall, gangly clerk standing in front of her. I am sure I am a little feistier than most girls he has ever dealt with she thought, as she took another drink.

"So how old are you, Percy?"

"I am nineteen."

"A little older than the Percy I know," she pointed out, before suddenly frowning. "Wait, I don't know anyone named Percy. Why did I just say that?"

"Well I am sure I wouldn't know, but could you just think about that bit of trivia some place else?"

"You are rude just like him too."

Shaking her head Ali put the lid back on the water bottle. "There I go again…what is going on with my brain?"

"As I said, I just think you need some food and a good night's sleep and all this will probably make sense."

"Maybe so. Do you have somewhere I can get something to eat?"

"Yes, we have a café, drugstore, and three gift shops along with the bed and breakfast close by the Ponderosa site for anyone who wants to stay the night. So I am sure you will find all that you need."

A few minutes later after signing a paper about her missing items, Alissa said goodbye to Percy and agreed to see him in the morning. As she stood outside the door of the gift shop, she heard Percy lock the door and walk to the back of the store before she took a deep breath and looked up at the night sky.

"The night sky here in Nevada is so incredible with all the stars twinkling like diamonds. Just look at that moon. It is so clear and bright tonight that it seems as if I could reach up and touch it," she whispered, as she put her hand up towards the sky. _I love you all the way to the moon and back._

Ali wrinkled her brow as she kept looking up at the moon. "Now why on earth did I just think that? I have never said those words before or had anyone say them to me. Surely I would remember that as it is such a touching and lovely saying."

Shaking her head Ali let out a long frustrated sigh. Maybe a good night sleep _is_ what I need to clear my head and figure out why I keep having these odd things pop into my head she thought, before pulling her lightweight jacket tighter around her as she headed for the bed and breakfast up the street.

* * *

(The Ponderosa 1800's)

"Adam, let Joe go! He ain't to blame and punching him ain't gonna bring Ali home any sooner." Hoss quickly situated himself between the two brothers just as Adam was getting ready to punch Joe.

Alissa had been missing for two days and Adam had not slept at all since Bill had ridden out to find him and tell him what had happened. His patience was wearing very thin now since there had been no trace of Alissa except her hat in those two long days. Ben had ordered the hands to search every inch of the Ponderosa, but so far nothing had turned up.

Adam let go of Joe's shirtfront and backed away from his brother as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I told you to take care of her, Joe. Why didn't you take better care of her?"

"I'm so sorry, Adam. She said she had something to show me in the barn and that it was important. But I was busy at the time and asked her to wait for me to finish with the new horse. She sat on the corral for a few minutes, but you know Ali, she was impatient and then stormed off towards the barn. It was only about ten or fifteen more minutes until I went to the barn looking for her, and that is when I found her hat but no trace of her anywhere. Bill and Hop Sing helped me look all around the ranch. And I swear, Adam, it is like she disappeared into thin air because there were no footprints or hoof prints anywhere to tell us where she might have gone. I just wish I would have gone as soon as she asked me, but honestly, Adam, I didn't think she was in any danger or you know I would have."

Joe felt the tears well up in his eyes as he watched his brother. "I am just so sorry, Adam."

"I know. Do you think those two idiots that she cares about took her again?"

Ben stood up and walked over to his son and put his arm around his shoulder.

"I suppose it is possible, but Sheriff Coffee and as many men as we can get will keep looking until we find her. You just need to eat something, Adam, and get some rest. Or you won't be any good to her when we do find her if you're too weak to take her in your arms." Ben smiled faintly trying to lighten the mood in the room.

"You know, Pa, remember when she first came here. She just sort of appeared in front of us. Maybe…maybe she just left the same way."

"Oh now, Adam, that is foolishness. You are just tired and need to get some sleep. People don't just vanish for no reason."

Adam reached out and angrily grabbed his father. "Then you tell me where she is! Because if we can't find her, then what other explanation is there…you tell me that!"

Ben shook his head, "I don't know, son, but we will find her."

Letting go of his father Adam tenderly touched his shoulder. "I am so sorry Pa that I yelled at you. It is just that I am so worried and frustrated that we can't find any trace of her. It makes no sense to me. But I do know one thing, I will never give up looking for her no matter how long it takes!"

All the emotions of the last two days appeared on his face as he turned and wearily went up the stairs to his room to try and get some rest.

* * *

(Present Day)

The sound of Alissa's heels clicking on the pavement as she walked along at a brisk pace was practically the only sound on the street in the early evening. There weren't many people around now that most of the tourists had left, but Alissa felt very safe as she hurriedly approached the bed and breakfast at the end of the street.

It was a large two-story house and she couldn't help but appreciate how unique it was standing all by itself. It really was quite lovely with its gingerbread trim on the porch and the eaves on the second story roof. It certainly looked liked something out of the past with its light blue color and white trim. The screen door was also painted white with a very intricate design and Alissa couldn't help but smile when she saw two rocking chairs on the front porch.

"They sure have gone all out to make this bed and breakfast look old-fashioned. I can't wait to see the inside," she whispered to herself, as she opened the screen door and walked inside.

A short stout woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing looked up from the counter and smiled pleasantly.

"Good evening, Miss, how may I help you?"

"Wow, you sure do take this serious, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this old-fashioned house and the way you are dressed certainly makes you feel like you have gone back in time to the old west."

The woman smiled warmly. "Yes, well we like to have you feel just like you would if you visited Virginia City during the time of the imaginary Ponderosa. So we have everything as it would have been then."

"But the Ponderosa isn't imaginary," Alissa muttered.

"Oh but of course it is. It was built for a TV show called Bonanza. And after the show ended with so many fans wanting to see the ranch house, it was turned into a tourist attraction. Eventually the shops here and the bed and breakfast were built to accommodate the tourists. Have you gone on the tour yet?"

Shaking her head as if to clear her mind Alissa smiled. "Uh yes, I went today. Of course I know it isn't real. I guess I just got caught up in these surroundings."

"Well that is understandable, dear. Now I would like to welcome you to our little bed and breakfast. My name is Mrs. Travis and what is your name?"

Still a little unsure about why she keeps saying these odd things Alissa answered softly, "Uh, my name is Alissa Anderson."

"Well, please to meet you Miss Anderson. You are single I presume, beings you are alone and there is no ring on your finger."

"Yes, I am single," Alissa answered simply, as she slowly looked around the room at all the furnishings.

"Very well. How many nights would you like to stay?"

"Oh, uh, I just need to stay tonight."

"Alright then, I will have the boy take your luggage up to your room. I am giving you room number ten. It has the best view and gets lovely sunshine in the morning. Just where is your luggage?"

Mrs. Travis started to hand Alissa the key but tapped the bell on the counter first to summon the boy to help with her luggage.

"Oh I don't have any luggage. I missed the bus going back to town so I ended up having to stay the night."

"Well that will be just fine. I will show you where your room is myself then. Please follow me and be careful on the stairs, they are old and rather narrow."

Keeping the room key Mrs. Travis headed up the stairs. As Alissa followed her she couldn't help but feel very comfortable in these surroundings, which seemed strange to her because she never did like antiques. She was more of a modern kind of girl and all this antique stuff usually made her uncomfortable. But for some reason tonight she felt right at home.

Mrs. Travis led her down a hallway until they stopped in front of room number ten. She unlocked the door and walked in and turned on the bedside lamp.

"Here you are, dear, all the comforts of home. Breakfast will be served at seven in the dinning room. I will send up a pot of tea for you tonight if you like?"

"Yes, well I haven't eaten much today and I would like to go to the café and get something to eat. Also I don't have any night clothes so do you think I might find something at the drugstore?"

"I am sure you might find a large t-shirt there that might work. And the café is open until nine. Now if you don't need anything else, I will be going. Here is the key to your room."

Taking the large key from Mrs. Travis, Alissa shook her head. "No, I think I am fine and thank you, Mrs. Travis. You have been so kind."

"Oh no trouble at all, my dear. See you in the morning." Mrs. Travis smiled and walked out the door closing it softly behind her.

Alissa looked around her room before walking over and plopping down on the bed. "What is going on with me? I keep saying the oddest things. I know the Ponderosa isn't real so why did I just say that? It seems like ever since I woke up with that Percy dude looking over me I have been saying unusual things as if they were real memories."

Jumping up from her bed Alissa tucked the key in her pocket. "Well I don't know what is going on in my head, but my stomach is growling because I am starving! So off to the café and drugstore I go."

As Alissa looked over the menu at the café she was a little disheartened at what was offered. She wanted something light like a chicken salad. But it seemed all they offered where very heavy foods, like fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy with corn on the cob, or chicken fried steak with fried potatoes. All the things she just never ate.

Oh well, it won't be too bad to try the chicken. I can just eat a little of it so it won't be too bad for my waistline she decided, as she sat down the menu and took a sip of her water.

Thirty minutes later as she took the last bite of mashed potatoes Alissa finally pushed her plate away. She had eaten almost everything on her plate and enjoyed every bite. She had always been a light eater and really quite picky, so devouring all this heavy food seemed really out of place for her. But as she paid the check she couldn't help but smile at how good she felt after this wonderful home cooked meal.

Walking back to the bed and breakfast with a bag tucked under her arm, Alissa took a deep breath as she felt the cool air fill her lungs. The air here was so fresh and clear and even though it was getting chilly, the cool night air felt really good and didn't bother her at all. She had purchased a large t-shirt at the drugstore with a picture of all the Cartwrights on the front of the shirt. With everything that had happened today Alissa realized she hadn't even got a souvenir yet, so this purchase was something special. She decided when she went back to see Percy in the morning she was definitely going to buy some more items to take home.

Later that night after showering and putting on the new shirt and panties she had purchased at the drugstore, Alissa stood in front of her mirror admiring the shirt. Of course it fit her like a nightgown and came down to her knees. But that was okay because she was going to use it as a nightgown anyway.

"This shirt is so awesome. I am really glad I picked this one because it is so soft and comfortable I am sure I will sleep really well tonight."

As she looked in the mirror the smiling face of Adam caught her eye. Those dimples that barely showed, and those full lips promising kisses that took her breath away is all that Alissa could think about, as she ran her fingers over her mouth remembering the feel of his lips on hers.

"What! Oh get a grip, Ali. You have never kissed Adam Cartwright… for heaven sakes he was just a character on a TV show and not a real person. I know he is your favorite and it would be fantastic to really kiss him, but this is taking it over the top. I really _do_ need some sleep," Alissa grumbled, as she went over and pulled back the quilt on the bed.

Slowly climbing into her bed Alissa suddenly felt very tired. The events of the day and all these thoughts and memories that kept coming to her had certainly taken their toll. So when her eyes slowly closed she fell into a deep but troubled sleep.

TBC

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews on the first chapter of this new story. I am so happy that you are ready to come along as Alissa finds her way back to Adam. If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't hesitate to let me know cause I love hearing from you! ~ Sierra


	3. The Journey Begins

The Road That Will Lead Me Home

Chapter 3

* * *

Quickly sitting up in bed Alissa felt her heart racing as she rubbed her eyes trying to wake up from her scary dream. She had been dreaming of being pulled along in the dark and the feeling had been so overwhelming that she had suddenly awoken from her dream. Taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, she turned on the light beside her bed and sat there trying to slow down her heartbeats.

"What a dream that was! It was so real yet it made no sense to me. Why would I be pulled through a doorway into a dark hall? Well I suppose most dreams don't make sense most of the time."

Alissa took a deep breath and then let it out slowly as she turned in bed and put her feet on the hardwood floor. She reached over to the nightstand and took the pitcher of water and poured herself a drink, hoping that would help calm her nerves. As she started to take a drink, she studied the beautiful glass that she held in her hand. It was a lovely shade of light green and as she turned the heavy glass in her hand, it reflected the glow of the lamp on her nightstand. The pitcher was the same shade of green and it was quite obvious to her that this set was old because they just didn't make things like this anymore she thought, as she brought the glass to her lips. Besides, most motels give you a plastic glass with paper wrapped around it, not an antique set like this. Ali smiled at that thought before taking a drink of the tepid water.

"Well now that I am actually taking time to look at my room, it really is quite the old fashioned room. Everything is just like it would have been back in the day, I imagine."

She continued looking around the room admiring all the furnishings until she noticed her jeans lying in a heap on the floor where she had left them earlier.

"Good grief, Ali, what a slob you are that you can't even pick up your clothes," she mumbled, as she stood up and walked over to pick up her jeans.

After picking them up, she shook them to get some of the wrinkles out when a small item fell out of the pocket and onto the floor at her feet. Placing her jeans over the back of a chair Ali bent over and retrieved the object from the floor and carefully turned it over in her hand.

"Well what do we have here? Oh my gosh, what an exquisite antique watch. It looks like a brooch that you would pin on your chest. No one wears anything like this now days."

Carefully examining the delicate watch, Ali held it up to her chest as she looked in the mirror admiring how it looked.

"It is so delicate and it still is ticking," she laughed softly, after she held it to her ear.

"I wonder who it belongs to because it certainly isn't mine. Well I will ask Mrs. Travis in the morning, maybe she will know. But for now I need to try and get some sleep."

Ali walked over and set the watch by her billfold on the dresser. Then stifling a yawn she crawled back into her cozy bed hoping to fall asleep. But sleep was not to come just yet, and eventually she sat up and grabbed the remote from the nightstand and turned on the TV that was mounted on the wall. She couldn't help but grin at the fact that everything in the room was old fashioned, but they still had a television set. Of course as she clicked through the channels, it did seem that the only thing that was on was John Wayne westerns.

"How appropriate," she giggled, as she settled on watching McClintock. She hadn't really watched a lot of John Wayne's movies but this one seemed as good as another she decided. Besides, she loved how Maureen O'Hara always stood up to John Wayne in their movies together. Kind of reminded her of the way she was—adventurous, stubborn to a fault and never ready to back down.

An hour later as she watched John chase Maureen through the center of town with the whole town following him, and eventually taking her over his knee to deliver what he thought was a well deserved spanking, Alissa laughed out loud.

"Now _he_ reminds me of my Adam, so stubborn and opinionated and all man when he gets angry. Adam did that to me in front of his father once as they discussed my little adventure of going into a saloon. Of course I did get angry and started throwing things…WHAT?"

Alissa quickly shut off the TV and threw the remote on the bed.

"What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I think and say these things, and who is Adam? Am I thinking of Adam Cartwright because I am here and went on the tour of the Ponderosa? He is my very favorite I admit, and he is definitely a dreamy hunk of a man. But geez Louise, he sure never spanked me. I never even met the man because he doesn't exist! I guess I must be thinking of that episode where that Spanish woman came to the Ponderosa and she almost broke his guitar over his head before he took her over his knee for acting like such a brat. I guess that is what is going through my addled brain. Yes, that must be it. The bump on my head is just making me a little crazy. All I need is some sleep and it will all make sense to me in the morning," Ali sighed, as she readjusted her pillow and closed her eyes praying for some sleep...

The soft kisses as they gently trailed down her neck made Alissa shiver, and soon the lips that had made her shiver were seeking out her mouth in a fiercely demanding kiss. His lips were full and soft and his kiss seemed to never end as she felt his strong calloused hands slowly lowering her chemise until he lowered his head kissing her bare flesh. Alissa felt her breath catch in her throat as she waited for him to go even lower with his kisses. But he raised his head to meet her gaze and grinned wickedly as he whispered, "Do you want me to continue, Alissa?"

Alissa's heart stirred at the sound of his deep, rich voice. "Oh yes, Adam, yes my love. I am all yours."

Suddenly Alissa's eyes opened and she sat upright in bed. All the memories of this last year quickly flashed through her mind as she called out his name.

"ADAM!"

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Alissa was looking out the window as the sun was starting to rise. It was a beautiful and peaceful sight and Mrs. Travis was right, this room did have a lovely view. But it could never compare to watching the sunrise from her room at the Ponderosa she thought sadly, as she dropped the lace curtain and sat down in the rocking chair.

It seemed the rather provocative dream she had about Adam last night was what finally triggered her memory. It took her a while to make sense of it all, but when she finally pieced everything together, she spent most of the night sitting in the rocking chair holding her watch close to her heart remembering her handsome cowboy and his desirable kisses. At first she was relieved to know why she had been having all those unfamiliar thoughts at the gift shop and then back in the room. But when reality set in and she realized she had come back from the past to her own time leaving Adam, she became very depressed and spent most of the night crying.

"Damn you, Ali. Why did you open that stupid door anyway? If you would've left it alone then you would still be with the man that you love. I haven't the faintest idea why I ended up on the Ponderosa when I first went through that door, but I did and now that I have come back to modern times, I have no idea how I will ever get back to Adam."

Reaching down Alissa picked up her boot and angrily threw it hard against the wall, right before there was a knock at the door. Getting up with a frustrated grumble Alissa went and opened the door.

"Dear is everything all right? I heard voices and then a loud thump."

Mrs. Travis waltzed into the room with a tea tray in her arms. She went over and set the tray down on the round table that was in the center of the room and turned around.

"Are you feeling well? You don't look as if you had a wink of sleep, my dear. And you have been crying too."

Rubbing her eyes Alissa frowned. "Oh the voice you heard was me talking to myself...I do that a lot. And no, I didn't get much sleep. I just have a lot on my mind is all. I have a big problem and I have no idea how I am going to fix it."

Not being able to hold it in any longer Alissa suddenly burst into tears as Mrs. Travis rushed over and pulled her into her arms.

"There, there, it can't be that bad."

"Oh but it is. I have lost the man that I love more than life itself and I don't know how I can get back to him."

Alissa cried harder as she laid her head on Mrs. Travis' shoulder.

"Yes, well affairs of the heart can certainly be very difficult. But I am sure there must be a way to fix this."

Mrs. Travis smiled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a lace handkerchief and handed it to Alissa.

"Thank you, but this is a problem I don't think anyone can solve. I am not even sure if it really happened. Maybe I dreamed it all…I just don't know," Ali sniffed, as she took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.

"But I have the watch he gave me, so that should prove that it happened…right?"

Wanting to show her watch to Mrs. Travis, Ali hurried over to the nightstand and retrieved it then handed it to Mrs. Travis.

"This is a lovely antique brooch, dear. My goodness, it looks brand new. But I know my antiques, and this definitely is very old. You say your sweetheart gave this to you?"

"Yes he did. I can even remember the night he gave it to me. So that proves it wasn't a dream, doesn't it? But how can I ever get back to him now?"

Alissa started crying again as she sat down on the bed. Mrs. Travis came and sat down beside her and put her arm around her shoulder.

"Just where is your sweetheart anyway? Is he away at war?"

"No, nothing like that. He is very far away from me though, and there are no planes, cars or ships that can get me back to him."

Mrs. Travis looked rather confused as she patted Alissa's hand.

"Don't cry, dear. I am sure we can work this out for you."

"Mrs. Travis, do you…uh do you believe in time travel?"

Alissa expected this sweet lady to look totally shocked at her question, but instead she just smiled.

"Well, I have always thought it would be great fun to be able to do that. But I am not sure how a person would go about it. Why do you ask?"

"Because…because I think that is what I did. I went back in time and met my Adam. So you can see why modern travel can't get Adam and I back together. That is why I am so upset. I went back in time and lived in the west during the 1800's. Then yesterday the door reappeared and I stupidly opened the door and found myself unexpectedly back in modern times."

When Alissa hesitated to go on Mrs. Travis nodded her head, "Continue please."

"You see, I found a door at the back of the gift shop and when I went through it, for some reason I ended up back in time. I know it sounds ridiculous, but once I stepped through the door I found myself in a large barn. And after I walked through the barn door I found myself on an old fashioned ranch. A little while later when I tried to go back through that same door, the door had disappeared and I couldn't get back. So knowing I was stuck in the past and even though it was hard for me to wrap my mind around the idea, I made a life for myself in the 1800's. I know this next part will probably sound bazaar, but I lived there on the Ponderosa almost a year and that's when I fell in love with Adam Cartwright."

Looking startled Mrs. Travis cocked her head to the side. "You mean the same Adam Cartwright that was on Bonanza?"

Nodding her head Alissa smiled at the thought of Adam. "Yes, the very one. Do you think people can really do that or do you think I am nuts? I mean it is weird enough to travel back in time, but not only did I do that, I also met and lived among all the characters from the show just like they were on Bonanza."

Shaking her head Ali frowned as she took the watch back from Mrs. Travis and slowly turned it over in her hand.

"I know, this really sounds far fetched and you are thinking that I am one crazy girl. But last night when I dreamed about Adam kissing me and holding me, the memories came back so vividly I just know it really happened."

Alissa watched the expression on Mrs. Travis' face and was more than a little surprised when she smiled knowingly and patted her hand.

"Well I am not quite sure how that could happen. But love is a mighty powerful thing, and if you say it did then I believe you. And no, I don't think you are crazy. I have a rather open mind when it comes to things that are very unusual. My late husband was a psychic, so I am very in tune with all the strange things that happen in the universe. And there have always been whispers around town about such things with some of the younger people. I don't know anyone who has experienced that myself, but I suppose you could speak with some of the young ones in town and see what they have to say about it. Maybe they can tell you something that will help you get back to that man of yours."

"Oh yeah, I could just see that conversation. Hello, do any of you think you can time travel? And if you do, please step forward and talk with me."

Ali smiled half heartedly as she dabbed the rest of her tears off of her cheeks. "Then they would haul me off to the nearest mental hospital. No, I can't do that. Besides, I don't know anyone here except you."

Standing up Ali walked over and poured some tea into the delicate teacup on the table. As she brought the cup to her lips she suddenly grinned.

"Wait, I do know someone else in town, Mrs. Travis. He's nineteen so that makes him fit the younger generation and maybe he has heard some of his friends talk about this. Plus he works at the gift shop where this happened to me and he definitely sees a lot of people every day. So maybe he has heard someone else talking about this. His name is Percy and perhaps he could help me."

Setting down her teacup Ali frowned. "No, I don't think he is the type to delve into supernatural things. Although he does seem like the book worm type that might be well read about unusual things happening in the universe."

"Well you never know till you try," Mrs. Travis said warmly, as she hugged Alissa.

"Now I need to get busy with my day."

"Mrs. Travis…"

"Yes, dear."

"Uh…then you really do believe what I have been telling you? And you don't think I am crazy and are just humoring me till you can call the loony police to come and take me away?"

Standing by the open doorway Mrs. Travis chuckled then she winked at Alissa. "No, my dear, as my dear departed husband Stanley use to say, all things are possible in this world if you just open your eyes and believe, and I believe you."

Then she quietly closed the door behind her leaving Alissa wondering just what she should do next.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After dressing and finishing her tea Alissa hurried to the gift shop hoping to see Percy. When she got to the door she read the sign and realized the store wouldn't be open for another thirty minutes, so she found a bench in front of the store and sat down. Patience was never one of her virtues, and by the time she saw Percy walking down the street in a blue vest with a striped pink shirt underneath, she couldn't contain her excitement as she met him at the door.

"Oh, it is you again. You know you made me miss part of Dancing With the Stars last night. I just love that show. Anyway, I haven't been able to check for your missing items yet. I just got here so you need to come back later."

"Percy, do you believe in supernatural things?"

"You mean like ghosts?"

"No, just things that happen that aren't the usual. You know, things that happen pertaining to time that are rather odd."

"Yes, well you certainly are a little odd."

"Be that as it may, let's cut to the chase. Percy, do you think a person could travel through time if they were in the right place at the right time for it to happen?"

Percy cleared his throat before he turned away and fidgeted with the lock on the door.

"This stupid lock is always hard to open."

Alissa grabbed Percy's arm and turned him around to face her.

"Percy, do you know something about time travel?"

Shrugging slightly Percy looked down at his feet. "I don't know what you are talking about. People can't travel in time!"

Alissa eyed Percy warily as she reached out and grabbed the front of his vest. "Percy you do know something! Now you look me in the eye and tell me what you know!"

Percy blinked quickly and swallowed hard before he answered. "I…I guess I have heard of that before. A few people in town have maybe mentioned it before when we were having a party. But I don't believe it. I think they were probably a little drunk when they said it."

Finally getting the door opened Percy quickly walked into the store with Alissa right behind him.

"Percy, don't walk away from me. This is really important and I just have to know what you have heard about this!"

"Would you just go away? You have been nothing but trouble since I found you in the back room."

Percy walked behind the counter and set down his keys. Not one to be put off Alissa followed him behind the counter as he turned and scowled at her.

"Customers shouldn't be behind the counters. Now will you please back away?"

"Oh Percy, stop being such a jerk. No one is here but you and me. Now don't you think it was unusual that you found me passed out in the store room?"

"Well sort of, but since I have met you nothing seems unusual."

"Oh Percy, this is really important and you have to tell me everything you know about this."

"I don't have time as I need to get the store ready for opening. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get busy," Percy insisted, as he started for the back room.

"Percy wait!" Alissa exclaimed, as she grabbed Percy's arm.

"I will pay you for your time. I am sure you could use some extra money for any added expenses you might have."

Stopping from going any further Percy turned and smiled smugly.

"Well, I do need some extra money for my dance lessons. I have had two lessons already and they are expensive. So how much will you pay me?"

"Uh, let me see how much I have," Alissa muttered, as she started looking through her wallet for the money. She smiled as she handed Percy a fifty dollar bill.

"So, will this be enough for your valuable time?"

Grinning Percy took the money and shoved it into his pocket.

"It certainly will be a start. Now we have to hurry before the customers and my boss get here. I don't want anyone to think I am crazy talking about this."

Percy looked around the room checking to make sure no one was about.

"So, there is talk that the old lady that lives in the woods knows all about this kind of thing. They say she is a gypsy woman that tells your fortune and knows about all things mystical. Personally I have never been brave enough to go into the woods to find her house and have my fortune read. But a couple of my friends went there and they said she is really spot on. She told them stuff that no one else knew about them, and even talked about all kinds of things like time travel and the future."

"That sounds like just the person I need to see. Percy, you just have to help me. I need someone to take me to this gypsy's house."

"Oh no I don't. I heard she might be a witch too and I am not going near that place."

"But she might be the only one who can help me."

"I don't think time travel is really possible and why would you want to go back in time anyway? I mean how could anyone manage without cell phones and twitter, and I just couldn't stand it if I didn't get my manicure once every two weeks."

Looking at his nails Percy grinned as he held out his hand in front of Alissa. "See how nice they look. They take such a beating working in this store, and the idea of never having that done again is dreadful!"

"Well you get use to doing without all that stuff and realize what is important. Besides, once you fall in love, being with the one you love is all that really matters in the long run."

"Well those things matter to me. After all, I do have my standards," Percy declared, as he examined one of his nails for a small hangnail.

"And just what do you mean when you talk about the one you love?"

"Never mind. Now Percy, all you have to do is take me to the woods and show me the path. Then I will do the rest."

"How can you be sure she can help you anyway?"

"I can't be sure, but at this point it is the only thing I can think of that might help me."

Narrowing his eyes Percy looked down at Alissa. "Just why do you want to know about all this anyway?"

"Uh, well I am writing a paper on time travel and Mrs. Travis mentioned that she had heard a few things about it and I might want to talk to some of the younger people in town. And you are the only young person that I have met so far so I decided to talk to you."

"Lucky me."

Alissa couldn't hide her annoyance as she glared at Percy.

"Anyway, I thought I could talk to someone who might know a little bit about this subject. And even though I know it isn't possible, it will be fun to see what she has to say."

"Very well, but if you want me to take you to her house then that will cost you another fifty."

Rolling her eyes Alissa frowned, "Of course it will. What time do you want to meet?"

"Tonight at seven after I close the shop. Be out front and I will take you. But remember, I am only going to take you to the path to her door. I am not that desperate for money that I want to actually see her."

"Of course you aren't," Alissa smirked, as she headed for the front door.

 **TBC**

* * *

I have had many fans ask if Alissa would ever go back to her own time, so this is how I have chosen to write her story. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and will let me know what you think. As aways, thank you so much for all your fantastic reviews! ~ Sierra


	4. Dreams

The Road That Will Lead Me Home

Chapter 4

* * *

(Ponderosa 1800's)

Little Joe stood up and stretched before he leaned over and picked up his coffee cup from the table in front of the settee. He let out a long sigh before he went over to the dinning table and reached for the coffee pot that was still on the table. The dinner dishes had been removed a long time ago, but Hop Sing always left a hot pot of coffee on the table for the men to drink after dinner.

"I can't believe Adam finally went to bed. I think that man has only had a few hours of sleep in the week that Alissa has been gone."

Taking a long drink of his luke warm coffee Ben frowned slightly before speaking. "Well I guess I better tell you both what I did."

Hoss quit working on the set of reins he had in his hands and looked up.

"What do ya mean, Pa?"

"I just couldn't stand seeing how tired and worn out he was becoming, so I got some sleeping powders from the doctor and slipped them in his coffee before dinner. I know it probably wasn't right, but I had to do something to get him some rest."

Joe finished pouring his coffee and as he walked past Ben's chair he squeezed his father's shoulder affectionately.

"It is all right, Pa. He was walking around like a dead man and I think you did the right thing. We sure won't tell him and maybe he will sleep the whole night. I have caught him up in the middle of the night just sitting in front of the fire staring at it like he wasn't even here. So I think it will do him good."

"I agree with Joe, Pa." Hoss nodded then continued his work on the reins.

Setting his coffee cup on the table in front of his chair Ben ran his hand through his silver hair. "I surely hope so as I don't know how much longer he can go on like this. Maybe tonight he will sleep soundly and be rested when we go out tomorrow to keep searching."

But Ben's hopes weren't coming true, for even though Adam slept, it was a restless sleep full of dreams of Alissa...

Adam looked down at Alissa as she snuggled in his lap and reached up to caress his cheek.

"Adam, I really want to go into town after the hanging. Do you think you can take me when you get back? By then things should have settled down and I really want to see what kind of a story I can write about it."

Adam smiled down at her as he leaned over and lightly kissed her lips. "We will see when I get back. You do know that when you took this job on the newspaper you promised not to do anything dangerous. It seems to me that looking into this might be a bit dangerous."

Alissa grinned as she lightly traced first one and then the other of his dimples. "Oh now Adam, you worry too much. Besides, I am just going to interview people to see what they think might have made a man that was not violent, suddenly do what he did."

"Oh very well. But you will _not_ go into town without me. Is that understood?" Adam responded, as one of his dark eyebrows rose with a look she knew all to well.

"Got a deal cowboy. Now kiss me to seal the deal."

Adam brought his lips close to hers as they sealed the deal with a passionate kiss, and then he felt her slowly disappearing from his arms before he opened his eyes and suddenly sat up in bed.

Rubbing his hands over his face Adam realized he had been dreaming and a feeling of despair slowly engulfed him. "It was just a dream," he said wearily, as he turned in bed to see the moonlight streaming through the lace curtain and decided to get up and walk over to the window and pull back the curtain to watch the night sky. The sky was clear tonight and the full moon shone brightly as Adam gazed up at it letting his thoughts wander.

"Are you looking at the moon too, little one, from wherever you are? If you are, remember I love you all the way there and back again. If you are crying, imagine me there kissing away your tears. And if you are dreaming, then send me your dreams so I can hold you in my arms as we dream together."

Adam took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Oh, Alissa my love, where have you gone, and will you ever come back to me?"

Wiping away a tear Adam let the curtain close as he felt the effects of the sleeping powder taking over again and he had to go lie back down on the bed. Soon he was lost in sleep once more.

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(Present day)

After making the date with Percy, Alissa spent the rest of the morning walking around looking through the few shops that were there and then headed back to her room. She watched a little television, but became bored with it and eventually took a long hot shower enjoying how the water felt as it cascaded over her body. She had to admit, showers were something she did miss. The shower had lavender scented body soap and Alissa applied it liberally as the soft scent reminded her of the soap that Hop Sing had made for her when she first arrived at the Ponderosa. At first the memory made her rather melancholy, but then she thought of the Gypsy lady and hoped that she would be able to help her with her dilemma and her mood became lighter as she began to wash her hair.

After blow-drying her hair, one thing that she had definitely missed being able to do, she put on her clothes and sat down in front of the mirror to braid her hair. Adam loves my long hair she thought, as her fingers quickly worked their magic and soon her hair was finished to her satisfaction.

Eventually Alissa sought the comfort of the rocking chair as she looked out the window at the sunset, while she nibbled on part of a chicken sandwich that Mrs. Travis had brought up to her earlier in the day.

"So many wonderful memories of my other life. I hope this Gypsy knows what has happened to me and can help me get back to Adam," she said softly, as she continued to rock gently back and forth.

The sandwich was very tasty but Alissa didn't have much of an appetite. So she finally gave up on finishing it and stood up and walked over to the table dropping the half eaten sandwich on the dainty pink and white plate.

"What if this Gypsy woman can't help me…then what do I do? I don't think I can go on without Adam in my life. I want to go back to the family and friends I have gained and the life I have come to love so dearly. I know this whole scenario seems crazy, but I lived it so I know it happened. I just don't know why it happened to me. Hopefully this Gypsy woman can help me make sense of it all. But I know one thing for sure, I _won't_ stop trying until I find a way to return."

Alissa wiped away a tear that was rolling down her cheek before she reached up and removed the broach from her shirt and held it gently in her hand as she returned to the rocking chair. Turning it over she brought it to her lips and kissed it lovingly.

"Oh my sweet, sweet man, I don't know how or when, but I am coming back to you, my love. Please don't give up on me, Adam, I am coming home!"

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(Ponderosa 1800's)

" _Please don't give up on me, Adam, I am coming home!"_

Adam heard Alissa's voice and felt as if she was whispering in his ear. So he suddenly sat upright in bed expecting her to be in the room with him. But after looking around the room he realized he had been dreaming and she wasn't with him.

"I swear it was almost like she was standing beside the bed whispering in my ear. It was so real that I could smell her lavender scent and feel her soft breath in my ear," he said, as he shook his head slightly confused.

But now for some reason, even though she wasn't in the room with him, the overwhelming feeling he felt of her being there and telling him she was coming home had given him new hope. So all those discouraged feelings he had when he turned in for the night seemed to disappear, and for the first time in a week a smile began to settle on his bearded face.

"I won't give up on you, my love. Now I _know_ you are coming back to me and I _won't_ stop looking for you until we are together again."

Watching the early morning rays slowly edge across his floor, Adam realized he had slept longer than he had planned and quickly got up and went over to his dresser. He poured some water into the porcelain bowl and splashed the cool water over his face and hair as he felt the refreshing water lightly land on his bare shoulders and trickle down between the dark curly hairs on his broad chest. After shaking his head to remove some of the dripping water, Adam grabbed a towel and wiped it over his face. As soon as he looked in the mirror at his weeklong beard, he decided it was definitely time to shave and change clothes before he headed downstairs to start up his search again. But this time he felt invigorated, for he knew in his heart that one way or another Alissa would soon be in his arms again—right where she belonged.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Present Day)

It was 6:55 when Alissa headed down the street to meet Percy. It was all she could do to wait this long and wanted to go earlier, but she knew he had to close the store. Besides, it would have only made her more nervous to wait for him so she stayed in her room until it was close to the designated time.

She had told Mrs. Travis all about what Percy had told her, and being quite the romantic, Mrs. Travis was thrilled that Alissa might have a way back to the love of her life.

"Remember, my dear, I truly believe anything is possible, and who knows, this Gypsy woman could be the answer to all your problems." Then she gave Alissa a big hug and sent her on her way.

Right before Alissa arrived at the gift shop, she looked up at the moon and smiled as she remembered how she had told Adam to look at the moon while they were apart, and know that she loved him all the way there and back.

"I wonder if you have looked at the moon since I have been gone? Oh, Adam, I know you are so worried about me. But just remember our promise to each other and know that I will do everything in my power to get back to you. And hopefully all my questions can be answered tonight," she whispered, as she buttoned up her jacket and started walking faster.

Seven o'clock sharp Alissa was standing outside the gift shop checking her wallet to make sure she had enough money to pay Percy. Percy came to the door and waved at her to come in. Opening the door he quickly ushered her inside and locked the door behind him.

"Everyone is gone early so it is safe for you to come in now. I think we need to talk about this venture a little more. You know I am not even sure this lady won't turn us into frogs or something horrible like that for bothering her." Percy frowned and wrung his hands in front of him.

"Oh for heaven sake, Percy. She is a Gypsy that tells fortunes, not a witch! Besides, I don't believe in witches being able to do those kinds of things."

"Well, you just never know. So maybe we shouldn't go after all."

Grabbing Percy's arm Alissa glared at him as she declared. "Oh no you don't! We are going to go there and you are going to take me right up to the path to her door. We have a deal. And you want the money don't you?"

"Well…I guess. I do want those dance lessons but…oh all right! Let me get some flashlights because I know it is very dark in those woods. You wait here and I will be right back."

Turning and looking over his shoulder Percy smiled, "Do you have my money?"

"Yes, I do. So hurry up and let's get going. As soon as you get me to the path to her door, I will pay you and then you can leave."

"Well that will be fine with me," Percy declared, as he headed off toward the back room while Alissa let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't take her.

A few minutes later Percy appeared with two flashlights, a dark jacket and a ski mask.

"What on earth are you planning? We aren't robbing a bank you know!"

"I know, but I don't want the Gypsy woman to see me. I do live here you know," Percy grumbled, as he stuffed the ski mask in his pocket and headed towards the front door.

"Whatever!" Alissa rolled her eyes and followed Percy to the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you sure you know where we are going? I think we have passed that same tree three times now. Of course if you would take that stupid ski mask off you could probably see better," Alissa pointed out, as she reached over and pulled the mask off his face and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Oh very well, but the ski mask stays with me until we get closer to her house. Then I am putting it on to protect my identity. I am not taking any chances with that scary lady."

Percy shined the flashlight in front of him, but not before he tripped over the rock that was sticking partially out of the ground. Falling forward without any warning he landed squarely on his knees and let out a loud scream.

"Oh my God, I have broken my knees!" Percy rolled around on the ground holding his knees to his chest.

"Percy, would you get a grip? Let me see how bad it is. You know you remind me so much of the Percy I knew before. It is uncanny how much alike you two are. How is it that I am so lucky to be stuck with two of you in one lifetime?"

Alissa bent down and pulled Percy's legs out straight so she could get a better look. After bending his legs back and forth without him going ballistic, she rolled up his pant leg on the one that had a tear in the pants and examined it closely.

"Oh you will be fine. It is just a little scratch. Now Percy, I just know you can be very brave if you set your mind to it. You look so big and strong and I am counting on you to be the man here and take me the rest of the way. Do you think you can you do that?" Alissa asked, as she dabbed his knee with part of the Kleenex she had stuffed in her pocket before she left her room.

Squaring back his shoulders a bit after hearing Alissa say he looked big and strong, Percy swallowed and grinned half-heartedly. "Yes, I _am_ strong and I can get us there. Now help me up and away we will go."

Alissa helped him to his feet trying not to smile. After all, if all it took was a few false compliments, then so be it. Once he was on his feet and had retrieved his flashlight they continued on further into the woods.

Shinning his light in front of him Percy started moving slowly through a small bunch of bushes. "I think it might be right around here some place. This does seem a little familiar. Of course the last time I was here with my friends I didn't go much further than this, so I can't be sure."

"Percy, if I get to go back in time, are you sure you don't want to come with me? You just might enjoy being in the Wild West?" Alissa grinned as she watched his expression turn serious.

"Are you kidding? I don't see me building a barn or shoveling manure. Nope not me, thank you very much. I will just stay here with all my lovely modern conveniences."

Laughing softly Alissa shook her head. "No, I couldn't see you there either. But it sure wouldn't surprise me if you had a past relative that was named Percy also. You two don't look alike, but he doesn't do very well in the west either and would much rather be a city boy just like you."

"Well, maybe I did." Percy grinned as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I still don't know why you want to go back there, Alissa. But I suppose true love can be a very strong draw. Heck, I don't even know how all this time travel stuff can even happen. At first I was mad I even met you and got drawn into all this. But now it is kind of exciting to be involved in this adventure. Well, all except the Gypsy woman part…she scares me."

"I know, Percy, it is hard to believe. I had a difficult time living it at first too. But then I came to realize that it really was happening to me and so I finally adjusted to life in the old west. Of course having a sexy man to fall in love with sure did help me adjust." Alissa grinned and winked at Percy.

Percy blushed and cleared his throat. "I suppose love can do that."

"Yes, Percy, once you have found your soul mate, nothing can keep you apart… not even a few hundred years. Besides, I have come to love being there, even without modern conveniences, because Adam's love is all I need to make me happy. Now let's get going…I am anxious to meet this Gypsy woman."

 _CRACK!_

"Percy be careful! I don't want you to fall again so watch where you are walking."

Percy turned towards Alissa with his flashlight shaking in his hands.

"That wasn't me!"

"Well it wasn't me, so what made that noise?"

"Hello, my lovelies. Come to see me, have you?"

Percy quickly shined the light in the direction of the voice they just heard and found a rather small lady with long silver hair, big hoop earrings and a bright yellow scarf tied around her head standing behind them. Bright red lipstick and lots of bracelets dangling from her wrists added to her outfit as she stood there grinning.

Percy took one look at her and groaned, "It's her!" before he slowly sank to the ground in a dead faint.

Looking down at Percy, Alissa frowned. "Great! So much for my brave man," she scoffed, as she bent down to help Percy while the Gypsy woman just laughed.

 **TBC**

* * *

I know you all want Alissa to get back to Adam, and she is working on it. But I wouldn't be much of a writer if I didn't tell the story of what happens to her as she tries to get there. I also thought it would be fun to have a Percy character show up in this story. He gives her grief just like the other Percy. So I hope you are enjoying his character. And many thanks to the guests and members who continue reading my stories and taking the time to let me know what you think. It motivates me to keep writing and means a lot. I really appreciate all your comments! ~ Sierra


	5. Answers

**The Road That Will Lead Me Home** Chapter 5

"Wake up, Percy!" Alissa said a little louder this time as she lightly tapped Percy's cheek. His eyes fluttered for a minute before he finally opened them wide and quickly sat up.

"Where am I?"

"On the ground where you landed after you fainted."

"I fainted?"

"Yep. Right after you saw the Gypsy woman."

"Oh damn, I remember now. Is she still around?"

"Right here, dearie." The old woman grinned as she stepped out from behind Alissa. Her many bracelets made a jingling sound as she buttoned the top button on her purple blouse and then lightly brushed off her long denim skirt.

Percy pulled his ski mask from his pocket and tried to put it on his head so he could cover his face, but Alissa grabbed his hand to stop him.

"What are you doing, Percy?"

"I…I need to cover my face so she won't recognize me, " he stuttered, as he tried to free his hand from Alissa.

"Too late, dearie, I already saw you. Now I am going to turn you into a toad," she chuckled, as she raised her hands in his direction.

Percy turned three shades of white and tried to scoot back away from her.

"Oh Percy, for heaven sake. She is only joking with you. She can't do that. Now get a grip, I don't have a lot of time and I don't want to waste it on your foolishness."

"She is right, boy. I was only playing with you. Now let's get you up, my cottage is right through those trees."

By now Percy had finally got his strength back and quickly stood up on his own as he put up his hands to keep her away.

"Oh no! I am not going to go anywhere near her cottage. She could really do awful things to us there!" Percy whined, as he kept moving backwards.

As the Gypsy woman looked him up and down she suddenly laughed. "Oh boy, the only thing awful around here is the way you dress."

"Hey, I paid a lot of money for these clothes I will have you know."

"Well you wasted your money," She laughed, as she headed for the trees.

"Well, how rude!" Percy smirked, as he dusted off his pants.

"Shh, she might hear you and turn you into a bat. Now come on let's get going."

Alissa grabbed Percy's arm and started pulling him after the old woman. "Of course you can stay here by yourself if you want."

Looking around the area Percy decided he definitely didn't want to be alone, so he walked along side Alissa till they caught up with the Gypsy woman.

They walked along in silence for about ten more minutes until a small cottage appeared in front of them, quietly nestled in a clearing.

"Here it is. Not much, but it is all I have needed for the last seventy years."

"Oh my gosh, that is a long time to live in one place," Alissa remarked, as she looked at the small cottage. It was really quite unique as it stood in the middle of the clearing. The paint on the outside had seen better days and was chipping in places, but it still was a lovely shade of gray with blue wooden shutters at the windows and a big carved oak door in the front. Two old wooden rocking chairs were on the front porch, and at the present time, two rather large cats were enjoying a nap in each of them. A garden was off to one side of the cottage and a large pile of wood had been neatly stacked up against the other side of the cottage.

The sound of wind chimes could be heard all around them when a light breeze started blowing. Alissa couldn't help but be enthralled with her surroundings as she walked along taking in all the different sights, while Percy was slowly walking behind her barely able to put one foot in front of the other because he was so nervous.

"It is so lovely here," Alissa said smiling, as she lightly touched one of the orange hanging colored jars that were lighting the path to the front door. The Gypsy had placed candles in all of them and the glow they provided made the whole area seem very mystical. "I can see why you stayed so long. It's really quite lovely. Have you lived here all alone all these years?"

Chuckling softly the Gypsy woman headed for the front door. "Yep, just me and my critters…and happy to be that way. Men just mess things up."

Looking indignant Percy frowned. "No we don't!"

As soon as he said that the Gypsy woman turned and glared at him. When he saw her fierce look, he quickly backed up as he added, "Well maybe some men do."

"Oh Percy, you are a hoot. What would I do without my brave man to come with me," Alissa laughed, as she grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him along.

The Gypsy woman eventually stopped right in front of the cottage, and then slowly turned around to face them as she tossed her long silver hair over her shoulder.

"I guess it is time we introduced ourselves, dearies. My name is Sabrina. What do they call you, pretty one?"

"Uh, I am Alissa and this nervous guy next to me is Percy."

Sabrina nodded, then stepped up onto the porch and bent over and picked up the Calico cat off the rocker and proceeded to set him down on the porch.

"This old cat here is called Mystery. I call him that because it is a mystery where he came from and how old he is. I have had him twenty years, but don't know how old he was when he came to me; so who knows how old he really is."

"I didn't think a cat could live that long," Alissa said, as she closely studied the cat as it purred while rubbing up against Sabrina.

Shrugging her shoulders Sabrina grinned once more. "I feed them special food."

"That's it…I'm leaving right now," Percy whispered in Ali's ear, as he tried to pull his hand away from her tight grip.

"Oh chill, Percy. Everything is going to be okay," Ali responded softly, while she held on tightly to his hand.

"But, but no cat lives that long," he muttered under his breath, hoping the Gypsy wouldn't hear him. "She must be feeding them some magic potion or something."

They didn't need to worry about Sabrina hearing their conversation because she was totally ignoring what was going on around her. Soon she pointed with her one of her long red fingernails at the black cat still sleeping in the rocking chair and grinned. "And that beauty that is sleeping there is called Midnight. I guess you can tell why. She is so black that sometimes I can't even see her in the dark."

Sabrina chuckled as she scooped the cat up in her arms and walked over to the front door. Before she opened the door she turned slightly and cocked her head as she frowned. "Well, are you two going to stay out here all night or what?"

"Well, it is a nice night and I think I will just stay out here," Percy stammered, before he suddenly let out a loud cry.

"Ouch! Why did you pinch me, Alissa?"

Alissa shoved him forward as she declared, "Oh you big baby, just go in the cottage for heaven sake. I told you I don't have all night. And if you screw this up for me, it isn't the Gypsy woman you are going to have to worry about. It is me because I am going to be the one that kicks your ass!"

Swallowing the lump in his throat Percy sighed in resignation. "Okay, okay, I'm going."

Percy slowly walked towards the front door with Alissa right behind him, shoving him every now and then if he hesitated. Finally stepping into the cottage Percy looked around the room as Alissa closed the door behind them. The first thing Alissa noticed was how warm and cozy the room seemed. There was a large fireplace on the wall across from them and a warm fire was burning with a large pot hanging over the fire. Two overstuffed chairs were by the fireplace facing each other with colorful quilts draped over the back of each chair. There was a small table with a bright turquoise tablecloth and four chairs neatly placed around it over by the window. Lots of shelves with jars of many sizes lined the wall by the kitchen sink, and a small stove and refrigerator were further down the wall. Different bunches of dried plants hung from the ceiling and the air was thick with the smell of lavender and thyme. It was really quite interesting to see how this woman had made her life out here in the forest all alone.

Ali Noticed a closed door on the other side of the room and just assumed it probably was her bedroom and decided she wasn't going to bother to ask her about it. All she really wanted was to find out what this woman knew about time travel and if she could help her get back to Adam. As she watched Sabrina retrieve something from one of the jars and put it into two bowls, she decided it was time to start asking some questions.

"Sabrina, I was told that you might know some things about time travel. I know that sounds really weird, but I have had such an unusual experience and I need to know why it happened to me and how I can solve my current problem."

After setting the bowls down for the two cats, Sabrina motioned for Ali to sit in one of the chairs. Then she went over and grabbed her rocking chair from the corner of the room and placed it between the two overstuffed chairs and sat down. Percy hadn't moved from his spot in front of the door and soon Sabrina narrowed her eyes as she looked over at him.

"Well, Percy, are you going to stand there all night or would you like to sit by the fire with us?"

"Uh, uh, I will sit," he said nervously, as he finally came and sat down in the chair across from Ali.

The springs in this chair had completely worn out, and when Percy sat down he ended up sitting very low in the chair with his knees perched high in front of him. It was all Ali could do to keep from laughing, but she got control and turned her attention to Sabrina.

The old woman started rocking back and forth very slowly as she leaned in towards Alissa. "All right then, dearie, I guess it is time you tell me your story."

"Yes, I guess it is. Well, it all started when I went in the gift shop in town three days ago after I had gone on the tour. I was standing in line to purchase some things I wanted when I noticed a door at the end of the shop. I decided to go through the door just in case there was something else I hadn't seen yet. I wanted to be sure I saw everything in the shop that had to do with Bonanza because I absolutely love everything Bonanza! I have watched all the episodes over and over again and often time wished I could live there, back in the past with those dreamy Cartwright men. I even daydreamed about it while I was in the store. So when I noticed the new door, I just had to go and open it. When I touched the doorknob I did notice that it was warm to the touch, which at the time I thought was rather odd, but I went through anyway and found a long hallway with another door at the end. I made the decision to go through this next door, although I really don't know why I did. But for some reason it just seemed like I was drawn to the door and I just had to keep going."

Sabrina kept rocking and nodding her head as she listened to Alissa's story. "Keep talking."

"Well this is the odd part. After I came through this last door I ended up walking out into a really large barn, complete with horses in all the stalls. I thought it was really strange to walk from a shop into a barn, but I just figured that this was part of the Ponderosa that I hadn't seen on the tour, and maybe this was another area that the tourists weren't allowed to see. So of course being the curious person I am, I just wandered through the barn until I eventually came out the front doors into a big open area. That's when I looked across the yard and saw the Ponderosa in all its glory. Only this house was three times the size of the one we had seen on the set earlier in the day. And it just seemed so different from the one I had seen before that I just had to see it up close. So I started heading up to the house to get a closer look when all of a sudden horses came riding at me and the next thing I knew, everything went dark."

By now Mystery had crawled up in Sabrina's lap and was purring loudly as the old woman rubbed his neck. The only other sound that could be heard was the ticking of the old clock on the wall and it seemed like forever until Sabrina finally spoke.

"This sounds rather interesting, please go on."

Percy was shifting in his chair trying to get comfortable as he added his comment. "Oh it gets even crazier!"

Sabrina glared at Percy. "Keep quiet boy!"

Percy shrunk deeper into his chair as he answered barely above a whisper. "Yes, ma'am."

Alissa stood up and put her hands out in front of the fire to warm them. She knew this next part of the story was probably going to make this woman think she was one brick shy of a full load. But she knew she had to do it, so after warming her hands she went and sat back down.

"This next part of the story will probably seem really far fetched to you, and I understand that because it was crazy to me…and I lived it. But the bottom line is that by going through that second door, I had traveled back in time to the 1800's to a place called the Ponderosa. Of course I didn't know that when I first woke up and found myself in an old fashioned house with all these men who looked exactly like the characters on the show looking at me."

Alissa sighed before continuing on. "Now at first I thought they were paid actors hired to entertain the tourists that came here because they looked exactly the same as they did on the show. I even said that to them. But they were totally taken by surprise and insisted they really were the Cartwrights, and this house and all the land for thousands of miles was called the Ponderosa and they owned it all. I mean it just seemed absurd that this place really existed except on the TV show Bonanza that I watched all the time. Of course when I told them that I thought they were actors, they all thought I was a little crazy and thought the bump on my head had made me that way."

Sabrina pushed the cat off of her lap and stood up and walked over to the many jars lining the wall. She reached for the one on the top shelf and brought it over to the pot that was hanging over the fire. She took off the lid and dumped in its contents and then reached for a large spoon that hung on a nail by the fireplace and gave it a good stir. Then she grabbed a log from the holder and placed it on the fire before giving it a good poke to light the flames higher.

"I have never watched TV. It ruins your mind so I am not familiar with this Bonanza show you speak about. But I do know about all the tourists that come here to see the things in town. So while we wait for the tea I want you to tell me more."

"Very well." Alissa rubbed her broach and thought of Adam as she continued on with her story.

"I eventually came to realize, no matter how bizarre it was, that by stepping through that door I had ended up going back in time to the 1800's and a ranch called the Ponderosa. Now, it was strange enough stepping back in time, but I not only did that, I ended up in a place that was a made up story for television. How crazy is that?"

Alissa felt tears start to form in her eyes because telling her far fetched story to someone else was starting to make her wonder if maybe she really was crazy after all.

Sabrina came over and put her wrinkled arm around Alissa. "There, there, dearie, I know this is hard. But you have to tell me everything if you want me to help you."

Looking up at this old woman's face, Alissa noticed how kind her gray eyes seemed and she felt better as she took in a deep breath. "You don't think I imagined all this and maybe I really am crazy?"

Shaking her head Sabrina smiled. "No, Alissa, I don't think you are crazy. Now please go on with your story. I don't think we have a lot of time to waste."

"Okay, well when I finally realized it wasn't a dream, I had to adapt to living in the old west. After they discovered I didn't have any family they welcomed me into their home. But Mr. Cartwright and his eldest son Adam decided to become my guardians because they said I was too young to be on my own. That is such a stupid way of thinking but I had to go along with it. It was quite a challenge for me at first, because I am a very opinionated woman with modern thoughts and ideas, and so I always seemed to get myself into situations that always ended up with me in trouble."

Alissa couldn't help but smile thinking of some of the fiascos she had found herself in.

"Anyway, as time went on it just seemed like Adam and I were always butting heads about what I thought was right for a woman to do and what he thought was right. So needless to say we had many a disagreement on just about everything. But slowly I found myself falling in love with that opinionated, stubborn and oh so handsome man. And over time I came to love living there, and for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged to a family. So even though we were total opposites, our love continued to grow and Adam asked me to become his wife. Matter of fact, we just had our engagement party not long ago."

Alissa felt a tear start sliding down her cheek when she remembered her engagement party and how happy she had been dancing in Adam's arms. As she wiped it away she suddenly stood up and started pacing. Sabrina backed away from her and let her rant.

"This is just so bizarre! I lived there almost a year, but when I came back here, I find out it has only been three days since I left! How can that be?"

Sabrina walked over and put her arm around Alissa's shoulders again and led her back to her chair.

"May I ask you something, Alissa?"

Nodding her head Alissa reached for the tissue in her pocket and dabbed her eyes.

"If you were so happy why did you come back through the doorway?"

"It was an accident really. I had walked into the barn and suddenly the door was back. I had checked so many times before and it never was there. So when I first saw it I wasn't sure what to do. I decided to have Joe come and see it so I could finally tell them where I came from, but he was very busy and I didn't want to wait. I thought I would just peek inside and see what was there. But when I did, I found myself being pulled into the door and the next thing I knew I was on the floor of the shop in the backroom with Percy standing over me. It was really strange at first because I had no memory of my time back with Adam. It was like I had been in the shop the whole time and simply gone in the back room and just fainted or something. Percy was quite upset that I was back there of course because customers weren't suppose to be there."

"Yes, I told her she really needed to go back into the main store. I didn't know why she was snooping around back there anyway."

"Hey, I told you I wanted to see more stuff! Anyway, he eventually escorted me out and I went to the bed and breakfast up the street. It took me a whole day to finally have all my memories of Adam and living in the past come back to me. So I went to Percy because I was told he might know someone who could help me. And he told me about you and that is why we are here."

Looking over at Percy Sabrina laughed. "Oh, so that is how you are involved in all this."

Percy just shook his head then started playing with a button on his shirt.

"Well, I have been waiting for you for a long time now. I thought I might die before I got to see you. You know I am ninety years old and don't have a lot longer to go. My granny was ninety five when she passed."

Looking totally shocked Alissa eyed her warily. "What are you talking about? What do you mean you have been waiting for me?"

"All in good time, dearie. Now I will make our tea and then I will explain what I mean. You will feel better after a warm cup of herbal tea."

Sabrina went over to the shelves and removed three teacups and saucers and walked back to the fire. She took the ladle out of the pot and poured some tea into each cup. Then she handed one cup to Alissa and started to hand one to Percy. At first Percy shook his head. "No thanks, I don't want any tea."

But when he saw the scowl on Sabrina's face he quickly changed his mind. "You know, I think some tea will be just fine."

Sabrina nodded and handed him the teacup and then went back to her rocker. She took a long drink of her tea and then placed the teacup on the floor beside her as she let out a long sigh.

"Long ago my granny told me about a young woman that had found an unusual doorway in the woods one day and stepped through the doorway and ended up back in time."

"But if she went back in time, then how did your granny know about it?"

"Be patient child, I will get there."

Sabrina started rocking again as she looked right at Alissa. "I imagine it was the same doorway you went through. Although there is a shop built there now. But seventy-five years ago this whole area was all woods. When I was a young girl my granny told me this story and I have never told another soul until now. You see, it seems every seventy-five years a magic door appears for three days. During that time a person who chooses to step through the doorway will go back in time. As to how far back or where they go is up to the person that goes through the door. I imagine you had such a strong feeling and desire to go to this make believe place called the Ponderosa that is why you ended up there."

Alissa heard Percy clear his throat and looked in his direction. His eyes were quite big and by the look on his face Alissa knew he was a nervous wreck hearing all this strange information. But after living through this, the story didn't seem strange to her at all.

Taking a sip of her tea Sabrina smiled. "Are you still with me, child?"

"Yes, please keep telling me more."

"My granny told me that the door will appear for a very short time for only three days, and if a person is lucky enough to see it during those times, then they can choose to go through the doorway. Apparently this girl chose to go through the door and went back in time also. But she told my granny that she came back through the door by accident and came to my granny for help to get back to where she had been. She had found true love just like you and wanted desperately to get back to her beau. You see my granny had heard about this door appearing every seventy-five years from her granny, but had never met anyone who had actually seen it. So when this young woman came to her for help then she knew it really existed. Of course she helped this young woman go back through the door…and then she never heard from her again. As to where she went I do not know, but hopefully she got back to where she wanted to go."

Shaking her head Alissa frowned slightly. "This is just so unbelievable."

"Oh now, dearie, if you truly believe in all the unusual things that happen in the universe, then who is to say what is believable and what is not believable. Now I said that I was waiting for you because this is the seventy-fifth year. So I knew it could possibly happen to someone this year if they saw the door at the precise time and went through it. I am so glad that you came to me for help because now I know it is true. Now you know that you weren't dreaming this and you have a way to get back to your other life."

"This just doesn't make sense though. I lived there for almost a year and yet when I would check for the door after the first week I was there, it never appeared again till three days ago. So if it happens for only three days, why didn't I see it sooner?"

"I can't explain that to you. I don't know why time is different in your fantasy than what it is here. But you said this happened to you three days ago…so this is the third day. The first day was when you stepped through the doorway back in time into your new life. Then the second time you opened the door was the second day it appeared. So this must be the third day, and if you go back to the shop in town I am sure it will be there. But remember, this will be the third and last time it will appear for another seventy-five years."

Looking over at her clock on the wall Sabrina stood up and grabbed Alissa's hand. "You must hurry now because it is eleven thirty and this is the third day and one minute after midnight will be too late!"

"But, but I still have so many questions to ask you?"

"You don't have time, not if you want to see that handsome man of yours again."

Alissa stood up and hugged Sabrina. "Thank you so much, Sabrina, for all your help. I don't know what I would have done with out it. You are absolutely wonderful! Come on Percy, we have to hurry."

Grabbing Percy's hand Alissa pulled him out of the chair he was wedged into and quickly started for the door.

"Wait! I must tell you something else," Sabrina exclaimed.

"I cannot say if you will go back to the exact time and place you left. You may go somewhere else. My granny was never able to see the young woman again to ask her if she got back to her true love. Just make sure you are wearing the exact clothes you wore when you came back here, nothing different. Hopefully that will help you get to where you want to go. And one more thing, you may have your memory messed up again like you did this time. Going back and forth like you have can certainly be hard on you, so I can't say if it will happen or for how long it will last if you do lose your memory."

"Okay, well I will just hope for the best cause nothing is going to stop me from going. Let's go Percy!" Alissa and Percy started out the door with Alissa pulling Percy along.

Sabrina laughed as she went to the doorway and waved at the two figures hurrying down the path. "Good luck, Alissa, and have a wonderful life. Oh and Percy, get some new clothes."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Percy would you please get the key into the lock? We have to hurry."

Percy looked at Alissa and frowned. "I am going as fast as I can. I am just so nervous with everything that has happened."

Hearing the lock click Percy grinned. "There I got it, now hurry we've got ten minutes to go."

Alissa and Percy hurried to the backroom and suddenly stopped, practically running into each other as they stared at the door that was now on the back wall.

"It's here, Percy! Oh holy crap it is here! Okay, okay I have to hurry. I have everything I had on when I came…oh wait, I can't take my wallet. That was left here the first time when it fell out of my purse."

Alissa handed her wallet to Percy and smiled. "Percy, I couldn't have done this without you, and the only way I can thank you is to give you what is in my wallet. I want you to have all the money that I have and also use all the gift cards. There are some for retail stores and restaurants too."

Taking a moment she took back her wallet and looked at her drivers license. "I wish I could take this with me and show it to them to prove where I came from. But I can't take a chance that it will mess things up. So Percy, will you get rid of it for me?"

"Of course, and thank you for all this money and gift cards. According to the Gypsy I need to buy new clothes, so I guess that is what I better do." He chuckled as he took her license and wallet.

Alissa smiled brightly as her eyes twinkled. "Percy, you have earned it and more for helping me. I will never forget you."

Looking at his watch Percy started to push her forward. "You have to go now, you have two minutes!"

Standing on her toes Alissa quickly reached up and pulled Percy down for a sweet kiss on his cheek. Then she turned and started walking towards the door. But at the last minute she turned around and looked worried.

"Percy, are you sure you don't want to go with me?"

"Lord no, I don't even like cowboy boots," he laughed.

"Okay, but what if I go to the wrong place? What will I do then?"

"You will do fine. Just keep thinking about that man that you love so much. Now go!"

Alissa reached for the doorknob and started to turn the handle, but looked over her shoulder and smiled at Percy. "I hope you find the love of your life someday too, Percy." Then she opened the door and stepped inside.

Percy watched the door close behind her and whispered, "I hope I do too… and good luck Alissa. I will never forget you either. This has been the best adventure I have ever had, and I will keep your secret to myself forever."

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(PONDEROSA 1800's))

"Hoss, I will be with you in just a minute. I have to saddle Sport and then we can head for town to see what the Sheriff knows," Adam called back over his shoulder as he headed into the barn.

But something caught his eye as he headed further into the barn. It looked like a body lying on the ground by the back wall of the barn, and the closer he got he suddenly realized it was Alissa!

Rushing to her side Adam kneeled down and pulled her into his arms and started kissing her all over her face. "Oh my sweet, Alissa, what are you doing in here? And where have you been? I have been out of my mind looking for you."

After his initial excitement Adam realized that Alissa was not conscious and gently laid her back down as he started rubbing her hands and face trying to get her to come to. At first her eyes started to flutter and then she finally opened them wide.

"Oh, Alissa, you have come back to me. I knew you would, my love," Adam said excitedly, as he held her close then set her back away from him grinning broadly.

But as a puzzled look settled across Alissa's face she whispered, "Where am I?"

"You're back home in my arms right where you belong, sweetheart," Adam said smiling, as he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the house.

 **TBC**

* * *

Well my lovely readers, I know it has been such a long time since I posted a new chapter, and I am sorry. But real life seems to get in the way and I just didn't have the time to sit down and write as much as I wanted. Luckily I finally found my pen and didn't have to use a pencil (lol) and got it written to my liking. I hope it was worth the wait and you enjoy it! ~ Sierra


	6. Many Questions

The Road That Will Lead Me Home

Chapter 6

Alissa's eyelids felt very heavy and it seemed like it was taking a lot of effort for her to finally force them open. _I feel like I have been sleeping for days she thought,_ as she let out a long sigh and stretched slowly before sitting up in her bed. The sun was shinning through the lace curtains and the warm glow it gave the room made her smile as she yawned and looked around her bedroom. Suddenly she stopped smiling when she saw a figure sleeping in the blue chair by the fireplace. But once she recognized that it was Adam, she breathed a sigh of relief. Adam was sleeping quite soundly with his hands in his lap and his feet out in front of his body crossed at the ankles. Alissa smiled lovingly while she took in how handsome her man was as she enjoyed watching him sleep. Then it hit her. What on earth was he doing sleeping in her bedroom?

"Adam Cartwright, just what are you doing in my bedroom? What would your father say? I mean we aren't married yet! So you have some explaining to do mister."

The sound of shouting quickly brought Adam awake and he suddenly sat upright in the chair before he realized who was doing the shouting. Jumping to his feet, he rushed over to Alissa's bed and sat down in one quick movement before he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.

"Oh my love, you are finally awake!"

Pulling back from Adam Alissa looked puzzled. "Well yes I am awake. Although I have to say I feel like I have slept for a very long time."

Then she smiled mischievously before she put her arms around Adam's neck and kissed him tenderly before she commented, "Now don't get me wrong, Adam, I do love waking up and kissing you in the morning, but as I said before, what are you doing in my bedroom?"

Alissa ran her hand across Adam's cheek before she lightly tapped his chin. "And by the way, you look like you haven't slept in days!"

Adam sat back from Alissa and took her hands in his. "Sweetheart, I look this way because I haven't slept in days! I have been sitting in that chair waiting for you to wake up and tell me where you have been."

Looking totally surprised Alissa pulled her hands from Adam and cocked her head to the side.

"What on earth are you talking about? I have been right here. And incase you haven't noticed, sir, I am in _my_ bed in _my_ bedroom. A place that you shouldn't be I might add."

Grinning rather playfully Alissa reached for her pillow and placed it behind her as she leaned back.

"So, Mr. Cartwright, please start explaining why you are here with your three day old beard sleeping in my room. And by the way, where have you been?"

"Where have I been? You have been the one that has been missing for a week!"

Alissa's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Adam as if he had just sprouted two heads.

"What on earth are you talking about, Adam? I haven't gone anywhere. You were the one who went away on business."

Reaching for Alissa's hands once more Adam smiled warmly.

"Sweetheart, you have been missing for a six days. Joe said you had come down to get him to go with you to the barn, but he was busy and couldn't go right away. Then later when he finally got to the barn, you were nowhere to be found. Don't you remember any of that? I was hoping that you could tell me where you have been. We searched for you for days and have all been beside ourselves with worry."

Adam gently stroked her hands as he continued to explain what had happened.

"When I first discovered you in the barn you were conscious, but then you passed out in my arms and have been sleeping all this time. That was almost three days ago, and I have never left your side as you slept. Doc Martin has been here twice and couldn't figure out why you wouldn't wake up. He just said to give it time. So I have never left your side waiting for you to come back to me."

Reaching out to pull Adam into her arms Alissa's eyes started to mist up at the thought of Adam going through so much torment. "Oh my love, I would never leave you. I am so sorry you have had to worry about me, but I don't remember going anywhere."

As they held on to each other tightly, Adam slipped his hand under Alissa's chin and tipped her face up to meet his waiting lips. At first his kiss was gentle, but soon became very intense as the two lovers expressed their love for one another. Eventually their lips parted and Adam began to nestle her neck as he enjoyed the fragrance of her soft hair as it rested on her shoulders.

"Oh little one, I have missed you so much. I thought you were gone from me forever," he whispered, as began to kiss her soft neck with light kisses.

Suddenly Alissa pulled away. "Adam, what on earth happened to me? If you say I was gone for so long and I can't remember any of that, what does that mean?" Alissa eyes widened as the severity of what might of happened finally sunk in and she winced and held her breath.

Adam reached out and lovingly touched her cheek. "Breathe, sweetheart, breathe, we will sort this all out in time. Now the important thing for you to do right now is to try and get some nourishment. You haven't eaten or drank anything for days now and your body is in need of food."

Adam couldn't help but smile as he watched her let out the breath she had been holding. Finally she smiled back as she touched the hand that was on her cheek.

"Yes, I guess I am kind of hungry and thirsty now that you mention it. Matter of fact, I think I am starving," she said grinning.

"Well then, let's not keep the lady waiting. I will be right back with probably more than you can even think about eating!" Adam said chuckling, as he stood up and walked to the door.

But right before he left the room, he turned around and smiled showing those irresistible dimples of his as he hesitated leaving. "Now you won't go anywhere, will you?"

"No, my handsome cowboy, I will be right here when you get back. Now hurry, I am starving!"

Adam bowed before he said grinning, "Your wish is my command."

Then he closed the door and the sound of Alissa's laughter made him smile even more as he bounded down the stairs.

Alissa leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes; soon flashes of memories seemed to flood her mind. She saw herself walking into the barn and seeing the door at the back wall. Then after everything went dark she saw someone standing over her asking her if she was all right. Quickly opening her eyes Alissa sat up in bed and shook her head as if to make sense of what she just saw.

"What was all that? And who was standing over me? It wasn't one of the family, so who was asking me if I was all right?"

Alissa let out a frustrated sigh as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began to braid it.

"Now that was just weird. Adam said I was gone for six days but I don't remember even leaving the ranch. So many questions and I just don't have any answers. Did I go back through the door, is that where I was for almost a week? And if I did go back…what on earth happened to me when I did?"

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Before Adam went into the kitchen to get Alissa's food, he went out the front door and headed for the corral to tell the family that Alissa was awake. As he walked towards the corral he watched little Joe leading one of the new horses slowly around the corral with a long rope. He was speaking quietly to the horse encouraging it to relax. Pa was on the outside of the corral watching Joe when he heard Adam call out.

"Pa, Joe, Alissa is awake!" Adam couldn't contain his excitement and was practically running as he hurried toward the corral.

By the time he reached the corral Joe had handed the new horse off to one of the hands and came running over to see Adam.

"Did I hear you right, Adam? Did you say Alissa is awake?"

"You sure heard right little brother. Oh Pa, she just opened her eyes and saw me sitting there and was totally shocked that I was in her room. The first thing she wanted to know was why I was there," Adam said, as the smile on his face grew.

"Well, did she say where she has been all this time?" Ben asked, as he too smiled happily with the good news.

"No, that is the bad news. She doesn't seem to remember even leaving here. But she said she is starving and that is a good sign. I am sure we will find out more the longer she is awake. I am going to get her some food now but I wanted you all to hear the good news first."

"That is wonderful, son. We will be up to see her as soon as we finish here. I am sure you would like some more private time before we all descend on her to hug her and tell her how happy we are to have her back and how much we love her."

"Yeah, you need to do some smooching before we get there," Joe chuckled, as his eyes sparkled with humor, right before he had to duck as Adam took a playful swing at him.

"I am so happy right now, Joe, even your smart aleck remark is not going to bother me. Now if you will excuse me, I am heading for the kitchen."

Adam turned and quickly walked towards the kitchen excited to tell Hop Sing the good news. He knew he would be thrilled about Alissa being awake and would fill up a tray with some of her favorite foods for Adam to take up to her.

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After those few odd visions had plagued Alissa, she finally settled down and leaned back on her pillow and soon found herself in a fitful sleep.

" _Are you all right? Do I need to get you a doctor?"_

 _Alissa was lying on the floor and as she looked up she found a very tall and slender person frowning down at her._

Sitting straight up in bed Alissa quickly opened her eyes and blinked several times trying to make sense of what she just dreamed. Then she nervously swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she slowly started to remember her dream.

"I think I was lying on the floor of the gift shop after I had gone back through the door. And that was the young man from the gift shop named Percy staring down at me. Oh lordy, did I really go back through the door?"

"Alissa, are you all right? May I come in?" Adam had heard her raise her voice when he was coming up the stairs and hurried to the door.

"Oh holy crap, that wasn't a dream! I did go back through the door! But how did I get back and what all happened to me while I was there?"

Alissa took a deep breath and slowly released it as her mind was whirling trying to figure out what had happened to her. Taking a another deep breath she tried to calm herself before she let Adam in.

"Alissa, are you all right?" Adam said louder, as he knocked on the door even harder.

"No, I am not all right. Once again I have found myself in another mess, and furthermore, I haven't the faintest idea what I am going to tell you because I don't have any idea what all happened to me, not that you would believe it anyway." Ali spoke softly under her breath, hoping Adam didn't hear her little rant.

Finally composing herself as best she could, she smoothed her covers and called out, "Come in, sweetheart… and join me in the Twilight Zone."

* * *

 **TBC**

Hello my lovely readers. I bet you thought I stepped back in time also because I have been gone so long. I do apologize, but it seemed like I ended up with every illness that came along this year. (lucky me) That along with real life keeping me busy, and a terrible case of writer's block, it took me this long to get you a new chapter. I wasn't sure how I would handle Alissa coming back, but once I decided where I would take this story, I started writing again. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story, and once again, I am sorry for the long delay. ~ Sierra Rose


	7. Chapter 7

The Road That Will Lead Me Home

Chapter 7

Adam opened the door as soon as he heard Ali call him in. He was a little worried at hearing her talking loudly as he stood outside the door, so he quickly carried the bed tray over to Ali and set it on the bed in front of her.

"Are you all right? I heard you talking and I was worried someone had come in and upset you."

Looking a little uncomfortable Ali smiled slowly. "Oh silly, don't worry no one is here. I was just talking to myself as usual trying to remember what happened to me while I was gone."

"Well, did anything come to you?"

"Not really. Just walking to the barn and then the rest is still a little hazy."

Adam smiled and gently took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Well, little one, don't push yourself. It will come in time and then we can discuss it. The main thing is you are back and safe. You have been through a lot."

"Boy, you could say that again," Ali mumbled, as she brought the teacup to her lips.

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing darling. Just remarking how yummy all this food looks. I am starving!"

Good, I want you to try and eat it all."

"Are you kidding? There is enough here for Hoss to eat!"

"Very well, but do try and eat what you can."

Ali saluted Adam and grinned. "Yes sir," she declared, as she took her fork and delved into the fried potatoes.

As Adam sat there watching her eat he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm as she tried a little of everything on her plate. Finally she pushed her plate back on the tray and patted her stomach.

"I am bursting! That was so good."

Narrowing his eyes Adam looked at her plate. "You really didn't eat that much, sweetheart."

"Well, it was enough for me. Now take it away my handsome servant," Ali giggled, as she saw the look on Adam's face.

As he reached for the tray he laughed. "Now there is that sass that I missed."

"Oh really? That's funny because you usually tell me I sass too much. Boy, you _have_ missed me."

Adam quickly set the tray on the chair and turned back and sat on the bed as he pulled Ali into his embrace.

"Oh, my sweet, you have no idea how much I missed you. I thought my heart would break from longing to hold you like this and not knowing if I would ever get to again."

"I know, Adam, I am so sorry you went through all that." Alissa let out a heavy sigh as she rested her head against his chest listening to his heartbeat.

After a few seconds of holding her tight, Adam gently tipped her chin up as his warm lips roamed over her face before capturing her mouth in a smoldering kiss that showed her how much he had missed her. Feeling as if he never wanted to let her go he finally ended their kiss, leaving Alissa breathless.

"I don't want to ever loose you again, Alissa. I don't think I could go on if you weren't in my life."

"I feel the same way, my love, and I promise I won't ever leave you again."

Adam smiled before he stood up and leaned over lightly kissing the top of her head.

"Now then, you are going to get some more rest and I am going to go and shave before I go and get some work done on this ranch." Adam rubbed his beard with his fingers as he winked at Ali.

"Please do," Alissa teased, as her green eyes twinkled. "Your beard tickles."

Adam couldn't help but grin as he grabbed the tray and headed for the door.

"The rest of the family want to come and see you for a few minutes. But not too long as I want you to get some more rest. Then maybe more memories will come to you so we can figure out what happened."

"Yes, I want to see everyone and then I will rest again. I have to admit I am a little tired."

As Adam stood in the doorway he turned on that dashing smile of his. "I love you Alissa Marie Anderson, all the way to the moon and back."

"Right back at you, my love." Alissa smiled as she blew Adam a kiss and then snuggled down in her bed.

Later that evening the family was sitting in the great room enjoying some brandy and talking. Alissa had slept right through dinner and Adam didn't want to wake her so he let her sleep.

"I don't know, Pa, she just is having trouble remembering anything after she went to the barn."

Adam let out a frustrated sigh before he took a drink of his brandy. He had gone out earlier and finished some work on the ranch after he left Alissa. Then after checking on her when he came in later, he decided to take a bath and shave before he joined the others for dinner. At dinner the family joked with him about how much better he looked without the beard. Then they had become serious as they discussed Alissa's disappearance at length, but there just were no answers as to where she had gone or who had taken her, if in fact someone had.

"It just seems so strange. She had come down to the corral and said she had something to show me, but when I went there later she was gone. And then there just was no trace of her with all the searching we did," commented Joe, as he started to put his feet up on the table in front of the settee, but quickly changed his mind when he saw Ben scowl.

"Well I don't think we should push her yet. I am sure with time the memories will come back. At least she has not been harmed. Doc Martin checked her thoroughly and she seemed fine except for that small bruise on her forehead. Of course she could be blocking out memories that she doesn't want to remember. But we won't push her. For now we will just take good care of her and keep a watchful eye on her."

Ben took a final swig of his brandy and headed upstairs to bed.

X0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

And for the next two days the family did just that, until Alissa wanted to scream from being smothered! It seemed like every twenty minutes someone was checking in on her to make sure she was all right. Finally, by the second day of this treatment Alissa decided to bring this to a halt. After washing her face and brushing her hair she was bent over looking into her trunk for some boots to wear when she felt a sharp swat to her backside.

"Ouch!" She cried out as she stood upright reaching back and rubbing her backside.

"Get back in that bed right now, Alissa! You need to be resting," Adam declared, as he stood in the room with his arms folded in front of his chest and a frown firmly planted on his face.

Once Alissa realized who had swatted her she stood with her hands on her hips glaring.

"Just what are you doing abusing my derrière, Adam Cartwright?"

"Get back in that bed or I will abuse it some more, young lady!"

"Oh for heaven's sake, Adam, I do not need to rest anymore, so stop telling me what to do," Alissa complained, as she stood in the room daring him to make good on his threat.

But once Adam started advancing she turned and hurried to the bed and quickly sat down removing his target. Then she turned her anger on Adam as she stared him down.

"I am going to go crazy if I stay in that bed another day! I need to go and see my horses, and unless you plan on tying me to this bed, I am going to get dressed and come downstairs today to do that very thing."

As Adam started to frown, Ali couldn't hide her annoyance as she met his eyes with her own frowning glare.

"I have been cooped up in this room forever and I need to get some fresh air! Stop being so pig headed, Adam, even prisoners get fresh air once in a while you know. Besides, I feel fine."

Adam couldn't help but smile slightly at her comment as he walked over and sat on the bed beside her as he took her hand in his.

"Do you really feel better?"

"Yes, I feel really good and not tired at all. So please let me leave this room… unless you plan on having a fight on your hands!" She grinned as she cocked her head to the side.

After watching Adam's eyebrow rise at her challenge, Ali quickly added, "Besides, you and the family must not be getting a lot done on the ranch if one of you is always checking on me all the time."

"Very well, if you think you are up too it I will leave the decision up to you."

"That would be nice for a change," Ali said with a smirk.

Adam brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly before he chuckled.

"There's that sass again. But it is true, we haven't got much done on the ranch since checking on you so often. But we just want you to be safe, little one."

"Well I am fine, Mr. Cartwright. Now hurry and leave so I can finish dressing."

"Very well then, I will wait for you downstairs." Adam quickly kissed her then stood up and left the room.

"Of course you will," Ali laughed, as she went back to finding what she wanted to wear for the day.

Adam was sitting at the table reading the paper when he looked up and smiled at her descending the stairs.

"You look beautiful! Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

"No thanks, Hop Sing already stuffed me. You know if you people keep pushing food on me I will be the size of a horse pretty soon."

"I doubt that. Now, what do you have planned?"

"Well, speaking of horses, I want to go and see mine right now. I have missed seeing them while I have been gone. Is Shylo starting to show yet?"

"No, sweetheart, Hoss just bred her two months ago. I know you are getting anxious but we are not even sure if she is pregnant. We won't know for a few more months yet."

"Well I can't help but be anxious because she is going to have the most beautiful baby horse in the world," Alisssa declared, before she grabbed Adam's hand and pulled him towards the door. "Now hurry up!"

Rushing into the barn Alissa walked over and grabbed the brush then she went right to Shylo.

"Well hello my beauty. How are you feeling? Is Hoss taking good care of you?" Alissa hugged her around her neck as she kissed her. Then she started brushing Shylo's mane.

"Of course I am. You know I love and take care of all our horses. Course this little beauty here is special cause she is yours."

Hoss had just come into the barn and was grinning ear to ear at the sight of Alissa being up and about looking like her old self.

"Oh, Hoss, you startled me. I was just talking to my girl here. I just can't wait for her baby to be born."

"Well darlin' we won't know if she is going to have a foal yet. But I got a feeling she might just be pregnant." Hoss grinned, as he felt around on Shylo's stomach.

"That would be fantastic! When would it be born?"

"Around next spring I reckon. Well, I got to get back to work now. I am so happy you're home," Hoss said smiling, as he hugged her picking her up off the ground as he did.

Adam just leaned against the stall wall watching all this between Hoss and Alissa. Everyone in the family loved this girl so much, and he knew he was the luckiest man around to have her in his life he thought, as he watched Hoss spin her around. Finally after Hoss left, Adam came up behind Alissa and kissed her on the side of her neck as his arms encircled her.

"How about taking the horses out for a ride, little one?"

"Do you mean that, Adam?"

"Of course I do, but not without an escort of course. And it just so happens that I am available to be that escort."

Adam winked playfully as he turned her around in his arms smiling down at her. Alissa was so excited that she jumped up into Adam's arms almost knocking him over.

"Whoa there, sweetheart. I know you are excited but you almost knocked us both over."

"Sorry, but I will be so happy to ride and feel the wind in my face again. Now I am going to go in and change and I will be back before you can say okey dokey," Ali laughed, as she turned and ran to the house.

"Okey dokey? Can't say that I have heard that one before," Adam chuckled, as he went to saddle the horses.

An hour later Adam and Ali were riding to their favorite spot. Adam had managed to get Hop Sing to pack a picnic lunch and the two of them were almost there when Adam looked over at Ali frowning slightly.

"Are you sure this isn't too much for you so soon after you were in bed?"

"Oh Adam, stop being a mother hen. I feel so good that I will race you the rest of the way there," Ali said grinning, as she urged Shylo forward in a gallop.

"Well then, I guess the answer to my question is No." Adam laughed as he took off after Alissa.

 **TBC**

* * *

I want to thank all of you faithful readers for your comments and reviews. It means so much to me to read them and see that you still enjoy reading about Adam and Ali. I know I don't post as often as you probably would like, and I am sorry about that. But I post when the ideas come to me and when I am able. So even though it is awhile between chapters, please know that I appreciate all of you for staying with me and taking the time to let me know what you think.

~ Sierra Rose :-)


	8. A New Friend

The Road That Leads Me Home

* * *

Chapter 8

Ali pulled Shylo to a stop as she turned in her saddle and grinned at Adam approaching on Sport. She had beaten him in their race and she was definitely going to give him a hard time about that.

"Well cowboy, I see that I won the race."

"Yes, but you had a head start," Adam protested, as he reined in Sport.

"Oh mere technicalities," Ali laughed.

"I still won," she teased, as she watched Adam dismount and walk over to her flashing his dimpled grin.

As she looked down at him getting ready to tease him even more, she suddenly felt herself being pulled from her saddle and found herself face to face with Adam as he held her in his muscular arms.

"So, shall we debate this further or would you like to have our picnic lunch?" Adam asked smugly, as he held her in his arms.

"Hmm, the way I see it, I won the race and once again the female species is superior to the male species, Mr. Cartwright. So there is no need for a debate. Besides, aren't you hungry?"

"Oh I am ravenous, that's for sure. Ravenous for those sweet lips of yours, little one," Adam whispered, as he brought his mouth down hard on her lips, silencing any other words between them.

Ali felt the demanding pressure of his kiss as she slipped her hand into his hair and pulled him closer, knocking his hat to the ground. She had missed the feeling of being in his strong arms as he kissed her and was enjoying every moment of their kiss, until Adam pulled back from her with his hazel eyes slightly hooded. They stood there locked in each other's arms for the longest time as their eyes met, each knowing what the other was thinking. Finally, Adam winked playfully as he slowly let Ali slide down his body until her feet touched the ground.

"I guess we had better get to that picnic lunch, little one, before we both regret what might happen." Adam let out a frustrated sigh as he reached down and picked up his hat.

"Well I don't know if I would regret what might happen or not. So I guess we better eat because of course you are a gentleman and I am a lady…sometimes," Ali winked, as she dodged the swat Adam tried to deliver as she started to reach for the picnic hamper.

"Brat!"

"True, but you are just miffed because you lost."

"I lost because you cheated!"

"Oh, poor baby,"Ali teased, then quickly hurried over to a lovely spot by the pond and waited for Adam to join her with the blanket and picnic basket.

"I think this spot is perfect. Do you agree?"

"Yes, little brat, it will be perfect."

Ali was still laughing when Adam joined her. She loved to tease this man of hers she thought, as she watched him spread the quilt and set the picnic hamper on top. It was just such fun to make this serious man frown or scowl sometimes when she teased him. He was wearing his red shirt today and Ali couldn't help but admire how handsome he was whenever he wore that shirt. It was her favorite, and she remembered when she saw him in it for the first time and told him he looked yummy. He had just shook his head at her comment, like he does so many times whenever he doesn't quite understand what she is saying. Ali couldn't help but smile as she remembered that day and wasn't quite ready for payback, when Adam suddenly caught her off guard as he grabbed her and pulled her down on the quilt with him. The gesture took Ali by surprise and she let out a squeal of delight as they tumbled onto the quilt.

"It is time for you to pay for teasing your lord and master, young lady. Now, let's get back to those lovely lips of yours," Adam said smiling, as he pulled her into his arms kissing her soundly. Then his kiss became softer as he slowly started teasing her bottom lip with his tongue. But the feelings this was causing made Adam decide he better stop, and he eventually leaned back and gently moved a stray curl from her face.

"I think we better eat."

"I think you are right," Ali agreed, as she sat back and watched Adam remove the food from the basket.

"Looks like Hop Sing out did himself even though he had little time to prepare."

"Well he is the best cook in the county, you know. You just gotta love that man."

"Sounds like you two are getting along now."

"Yes, we are doing great. And believe it or not, he is teaching me to cook more recipes. So you may not starve after all, Mr. Cartwright. Although, I still think a housekeeper would be beneficial for us all."

"Keep dreaming, Alissa," Adam chuckled, as he set a plate of chicken on the quilt.

Ali reached for a chicken leg and started eating while Adam made her a plate of chicken, a cold biscuit and some slices of cheese and apple. Then he fixed a plate for himself before he sat back and started eating. The two sat in silence for a while as they enjoyed the food until Ali pushed her plate aside and smiled.

Adam's eyebrow arched ever so slightly as he noticed the amount of food still on her plate. "Are you sure you had enough to eat?"

"Yes, mother hen," Ali giggled, as an amused smile tugged at her lips.

Adam frowned slightly before pushing his plate aside, knowing he had lost this argument.

Grinning mischievously Ali moved over and made herself comfortable in Adam's lap as he tenderly stroked her hair.

"So sweetheart, has any more memories come back to you?"

"Not really, but I am trying. It just seems that anything past going to the barn is a blank."

"Well you did get quite a bruise on your forehead, so maybe that has something to do with your memory."

"Maybe."

Ali showed a hint of a smile as she ran her finger over Adam's chest trying to think of what to tell him. She just didn't know how to tell the man she loved that she was from the future. He was a well-educated man, but believing that she was from the future was too much for even him to understand she worried.

Ali eventually broke the silence as Adam continued to play with a lock of her hair.

"Adam, do you think a person could travel through time? You know, maybe go to the future, or go back in time."

"Why on earth would you ask about that?"

Sitting up and turning so she was facing Adam, Ali let out a soft sigh. "Well, I just wonder about those things sometimes. Do you think they are possible?"

Adam's left eyebrow rose slightly as he studied Alissa. "What brought this up? Do you think you traveled in time when you were gone? Is that what you are thinking?"

Ali looked down at her hands not sure what to say.

"Sweetheart, I know you got a pretty good bump on your head by the looks of that bruise, but time travel, that is beyond anything that is rational."

Pulling her into his arms Adam held her tightly and kissed the top of her head as she snuggled against his chest.

"No, sweetheart, I don't think a person can travel in time. I just think you are trying to find out what happened and came up with this unusual and rather crazy explanation. Don't worry, your memory will come back in time and then we will know what happened. And if you never remember, that is all right too. All I care about is that you came back to me safe and sound. I just want you to keep getting stronger and not put so much pressure on trying to figure out what might have happened."

"Very well, I will do that for you," Ali agreed, deciding there may be another opportunity to talk to Adam about this subject again sometime. After all, traveling in time was hard for her to believe even though she actually did it. So how can she expect Adam to believe it could happen? So for the time being she decided, she would keep her secret to herself and just enjoy being with this magnificent man she had met and fallen in love with.

As Ali leaned back and smiled up at Adam, she reached up and started caressing his cheek ever so lightly with her fingertip before moving down to his lips where she gently ran her finger over his bottom lip.

"You have the most amazing mouth, Adam Cartwright. Your lips are so full and so sexy that I want to kiss you all the time."

"So what are you waiting for?"

"Not a damn thing," Ali grinned, before she pulled Adam to her and started kissing him. The movement was so quick that Adam didn't have time to call her on her swearing. But feeling Ali's sweet lips on his as her tongue lightly delved into his mouth, made him forget any chastisement he had thought to give her.

Their kiss intensified as Adam reached up and took the pins from her hair as he felt her soft silky curls tumble down onto his hands as he caressed her head.

But suddenly this sensual moment between them was broken, when out of nowhere the sound of a dog's bark startled them as they quickly separated. Adam lunged for his gun that was in his holster on the quilt as he moved away from Ali.

"What the hell is that?" Adam exclaimed, as he jumped up with his gun in his hand.

Alissa took a minute to regain her composure before she looked across the quilt at what was causing all the commotion. And standing right in front of her making all this noise was a large animal wagging its tail and barking at the same time.

Once Ali realized that this large shaggy and be-draggled thing in front of her was really a dog, she jumped up and started for the dog.

"Oh Adam, it is just a dog! And by looking at it I think it is just a puppy."

"That monstrosity is not a puppy! I am not even sure it is a dog. Now stay away from it, Alissa!"

Too late! Alissa ran over to the dog and had her arms a round its neck and was petting it before Adam got the words out of his mouth. The dog was wagging its tail, licking her face and whining all at the same time.

"Do you ever do what you are told, Alissa?' Adam grumbled, as he holstered his gun and walked over to Ali and the dog.

"No!"

Ignoring Adam's frown, Alissa moved the hair out of the dog's eyes and examined it more closely.

"Oh you sweet little dear. Are you lost? Oh Adam, he is so cute."

"If you say so," Adam smirked, as he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned even more.

"Alissa, we don't even know where this dog came from. He could have fleas or any kind of disease."

"Oh Adam, look at this cute face. I know he is still a puppy because of his big paws that he hasn't grown into yet."

Ali reached for his leg and studied his paw as the puppy wagged his tail and licked her cheek.

"You mean to tell me that this dog isn't full grown? Good lord, Alissa, he is already huge! The thought of him getting bigger is mind-boggling. Just how do you know all of this?"

"Because I use to be a dog walker for a couple of months to earn extra money and I have seen lots of different dogs."

"What do you mean a dog walker? Why would someone have to walk a dog? The dog can walk all on its own."

"Uh mmm, well people that live in a city and don't have yards or area for the dogs wanted them to get exercise and…"

Shaking his head before letting out an exasperated sigh, Adam put up his hands to silence Alissa.

"Never mind, I don't want to hear it, as with a lot of your comments they don't make sense to me. So let us deal with the here and now and what to do with this animal."

"He is a dog, Adam!"

"Alright, what to do with this dog. I think we should just leave him here and he will probably find his owner."

Alissa gasped as she stood up and walked over to stand in front of Adam as she poked her finger on his chest to emphasize her words.

"There is no way in hell I am leaving this dog out here all alone in the wilderness! Anyone with eyes can see he is very skinny, so he probably hasn't eaten in quite a while. And just his condition shows me he hasn't been cared for in a long time. Nope! He is going home with me."

Turning back to the dog Alissa patted her thigh to call him to her.

"Here boy. Let's go and get you some food. Then we will take you home and give you a bath. And then I will decide what to name you once I can really see you through all this dirt."

The dog followed Ali over to the blanket wagging his tail as Adam just stood there shaking his head wondering how once again he had lost control of the situation.

After a few minutes Adam finally joined Ali and the dog at the quilt as he grinned smugly.

"Alissa, have you thought about how you are going to convince Pa to let you keep him? You know it is his house and he has the final say."

Breaking the biscuits into pieces as she fed the hungry puppy, Alissa looked over at Adam and grinned mischievously.

"Don't you worry about Ben. I will figure out a way to handle him."

Adam just shook his head as he headed toward the horses to saddle them. "I just bet you will my beautiful and head strong woman, I just bet you will."

After he reached the horses, Adam looked back over his shoulder and commented dryly, "By the way Alissa, you need to stop that swearing or one of these days you and I are gonna have words."

Of course his threat landed on deaf ears as Allissa continued to feed the puppy and talk about all she was going to do with this newest member of the Cartwright family.

 **TBC**

* * *

I wasn't sure how I was going to handle Ali telling Adam about the time travel. And as you can see he isn't real receptive to the idea. So for now, Ali will keep it to herself and I will decide if I want to bring it up at a later time or not at all. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and thank you so much for all your continued interest and reviews. ~ Sierra


	9. A Little Bit of Soap Can Do Wonders

The Road That Will Lead Me Home

Chapter 9

* * *

Adam was leaning against the corral railing with his arms crossed lightly over his chest, doing his best not to laugh out loud at the sight in front of him. He and Alissa, plus her newest friend, had arrived about an hour ago to the ranch. It had taken them a lot longer than it would have normally, but they had to go slowly so Alissa's new friend could trot along side of them as they made their way home. After raiding the kitchen and feeding him some food, Alissa had proceded to drag Hop Sing's washtub out into the yard, and after filling it with water and patiently coaxing the dog to get in, she was now in the process of scrubbing him trying to get layers of dirt from his fur.

While Adam watched Alissa standing by the tub with this big animal splashing water everywhere trying to get away from her, he had held his laugher in. But when the dog stood up on his hind legs knocking her down into the tub, that was just too much for Adam to hold back, as he let out a thunderous laugh that made Alissa turn in his direction and glare.

"Don't you dare laugh at me Adam Cartwright! This dog will be so beautiful when he is finished that you will be eating your words about him being ugly," Ali sputtered, as she finally got her bearings and stood up in the tub.

"Well if you say so. But personally I still don't even know if he IS a dog, and I don't think all the washing in the world is going to make him look very good."

"Adam, you are making me very mad and if you don't shut up, I am going to throw this water on you," Ali threatened, as she scooped up some water from the tub with the pan she had been using to rinse the dog.

"Well, you are welcome to try," Adam chuckled, as he moved away from the rail he was leaning on daring her to try.

"That's it, Cartwright! I am going to drench you good!" Ali yelled, as she crawled out of the tub and headed for Adam.

Adam just laughed harder and started to dodge her as she headed towards him with a look of pure determination in her eyes. Of course all this noise only made the dog more nervous, and he jumped out of the tub and started running around the area barking loudly as Alissa started chasing Adam with her pan full of water, hoping to get close enough to dump its contents all over his smug head. But the more she yelled at Adam and tried to get closer, the more the dog ran around and barked. Finally Adam was laughing so hard he didn't watch where he was going and tripped and fell to the ground. That was all Ali needed to catch up to him and dump her water all over his head, then she stood back and grinned smugly.

"Oh you poor dear, you seem to be all wet too!"

Alissa laughed but then saw the frown on Adam's face as he shook the water from his hair.

Knowing she probably was in for retribution, Alissa started backing up as Adam stood up and headed in her direction. Now all the time this was going on the dog was running around the washtub and back and forth barking loudly until he saw Adam walking towards Alissa. Then he quickly stopped what he had been doing and ran over and placed himself between Alissa and Adam, then turned towards Adam growling very low.

Adam suddenly stopped and held up his hands. "Whoa there dog, I won't hurt her. I am just going to dunk her in the soapy tub over there."

Adam grinned as he started to walk around the dog. But Ali's new friend was having none of it and started barking loudly as he blocked Adam's way, just daring him to move any closer.

"Now listen here dog, I am in charge here, not you. So you best be quiet and get out of my way."

Hearing this Alissa quickly ran around the dog and over to Adam and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Don't you dare yell at my dog, Adam Cartwright. He is just a puppy and has to learn obedience. It will take him some time."

"Kind of reminds me of you, you never obey anyone either," Adam taunted, with a devilish grin on his handsome but thoroughly wet face.

Alissa couldn't hide her annoyance anymore as she started poking Adam on his chest. "Oh you think so do you? Well maybe that's because I don't want to be obedient!"

Adam grinned as he leaned down and easily picked Ali up. "Time for your dunking, brat!"

"You put me down you big bully," Ali yelled, as Adam started carrying her over to the tub. Of course this just set the dog off again and he started barking and running around Ali and Adam, not quite sure what to do next.

All this noise and commotion is what greeted two other Cartwrights, as Ben and Joe came slowly riding into the yard. Of course when Joe saw that it was Adam and Alissa, he just shook his head and laughed to himself. There was always some kind of chaos from time to time with these two lovebirds.

"WHAT THE DEVIL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Adam turned around and faced Ben with Alissa still in his arms. "Oh hi, Pa. I was just getting ready to give Alissa a bath."

"A Bath? What on earth are you talking about? And what is that animal doing, Adam? He doesn't look very friendly."

"Yeah, he looks like he is ready to take a bite out of your hide, Adam," Joe laughed, as he dismounted Cochise and stood at a distance.

"Well this rather large animal here is Alissa's new friend. She found him on our ride and has decided to bring him home. She says he is a dog, but I am still not sure about that."

"Oh you jerk, he is a dog and a dog that is going to bite you right on your butt if you don't put me down right now!" Alisssa argued, as she pushed herself away from Adam's chest trying to get down.

Adam looked at the growling dog and decided that it might be the smart move for the moment, and finally set Alissa on her feet with a sharp swat to her backside as he did so.

"Hey, what was that for, you jerk?" Ali frowned as she rubbed her backside then headed for her dog and put her arms around him to calm him down.

"That was for your language, young lady. That was not the proper way to speak in front of my father."

"Well, it was the truth. He _was_ ready to take a bite of your…"

"Never mind all that!" Declared Ben as he dismounted his horse and walked over to Adam.

"Alissa, what kind of animal is this and why did you bring him home?" Ben demanded, as he gave her one of his famous looks that would make most people shake in their boots.

"First of all, he is not a wild animal. He is a dog! I am not sure what breed yet. I will know more when he is cleaned and brushed. So, if all of you will just go away and leave us alone, I will finish what I started and then you will see how beautiful he is going to be."

"Beautiful," Joe laughed, before Ali glared at him. Then he quickly turned and headed for the house trying not to rile her any further.

"Very well. But whatever it is, it is not coming in to my house!" Ben declared sharply, as he walked towards the barn with Adam following.

"We will see," Ali whispered, as she got the dog back in the tub and began scrubbing again.

"They all think you are ugly, but we will show them boy. I think you are going to be so handsome when you are all clean. And most of all, you are all mine to take care of and I know we will be the best of friends."

An hour later Ali had the dog all bathed and dried and was in the process of brushing him in the barn as she spoke softly to him, trying to decide on a name.

"Well boy, what will we call you? I am still trying to decide what breed you are, and the closest I can come up to is a cross between a Great White Pyrenees and maybe a German Shepard. I know they won't know about dog breeds around here, because to most people a dog is a dog. But you have the large head like a Pyrenees and are tall, but your coloring is more like a Shepard. So obviously you are a mix, but you sure are a lovely mix. Just look at this fur, it is starting to shine now that I have brushed it. All the golden shades of brown with patches here and there of black are really quite striking." Ali smiled as she gave him a big hug while he cleaned her face with licks from his big tongue.

"And I especially love the way one of your ears is a little lopsided," Ali added, as she stood up and stretched. Her back was really starting to hurt from all this bending over the tub and now the brushing. But it was worth it she thought, as she walked around the dog checking for any spots she might have missed. After deciding he was perfect, she stood back and smiled.

"Well boy, you look mighty handsome. I knew you would. Now it is time to give you a name that is worthy of you. Let's see, you are big and very regal looking. And I know you aren't done growing, so you are only going to get bigger. I will give you a name that is regal too. How about Baron? That is a name that means something. And then sometimes I can call you Bear for short. After all, you are practically the size of one now," Ali giggled.

Wrapping her arms around the dog's neck Ali hugged him tight. "Do you like your name, boy?"

Once again the dog started licking Ali's face with his big tongue and Ali laughed. "I guess that is a yes. Well then, Baron it is. Come Baron, let's go and meet the family."

Ali opened the front door slowly so that Baron wouldn't go bounding in too quickly. Hop Sing was setting a dish of mashed potatoes on the table as he looked up and called the family to supper. Hoss was the first one at the table with Joe close behind. He had come home late and hadn't met the newest member yet. Adam was coming down the stairs from changing his wet shirt, and Ben was sitting in his chair as he slowly put down his newspaper and stood up. As he headed for the table he noticed Alissa in the doorway.

"You are just in time for supper, Alissa. I hope you tied up that animal in the barn first."

"Well not exactly. He is here behind me and I wanted you all to see him now that he is all cleaned," Ali said smiling, while trying to hold him back behind her. It took all her strength to hold Baron but she managed to do it.

"It will have to wait until after supper. Now come to the table as you know how Hop Sing gets about his food getting cold."

"Well I think I will just take him back to the barn and be right back."

Ali turned quickly and shut the door before anyone could say anything. All the men sat down at the table and folded their napkins waiting for Ali to return. Finally after a few minutes of waiting Alissa returned. All the men stood as Ali approached the table and waited for her to take her seat.

"Please don't wait for me. I am going to eat my meal in the barn with Baron. He is still very nervous, and all this is so new to him I think it will calm him if I am with him."

As Ali spoke she was dishing up food onto her plate as she went around the table and leaned over to help herself to the food. It was obvious to everyone that she was taking far more than she would ever eat as she piled the food high on her plate.

Adam cleared his throat as his eyes twinkled. "Did you miss a meal today, sweetheart? You sure seem hungry."

"Yes, I am really hungry with all the work I have done. Now you all go and start your meal. I will see you all later after I get Baron settled."

"So you decided to name him Baron, did you?" Hoss asked, as he set an ear of corn on to his plate.

"Yep, it suits him perfectly, Hoss. You will have to come and see him as I know YOU will appreciate how beautiful he is," Ali said smugly, hoping the rest of the family would get her snide remark. Then she hurried to the front door and closed it quietly behind her.

Adam couldn't help but smile as he reached for the roast. "Well I think she just put us in our place."

Ben's eyebrow rose, as he looked slightly annoyed. "That young lady sure gets to big for her britches sometimes."

Adam let out a soft chuckle as he reached for his coffee cup. "She certainly does, Pa, she certainly does."

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x

Adam and Ben had been working on the books for the last two hours and hadn't realized the time when the sound of the front door opening had them look over at the clock.

"My goodness, Adam, it is 10:15. I didn't realize we had been working so long. I think it is time to call it quits, don't you?"

Adam stood up and stretched. "Yeah, I need to go and see Alissa's dog. She sounded real impressed with how it looks now. I am not quite sure I will agree after how it looked before, but I will go and see."

Adam started for the door but Hoss was in the doorway and stopped him. "I just went out to see them and found them both asleep on the hay. I was just coming in to get her a blanket because I got a feeling she isn't going to sleep anywhere without her dog. By the way, it sure is a mighty fine looking dog."

Ben stood up and came around the desk and started for the door with a frown on his face.

"Well we will see about that! That young lady is NOT sleeping in the barn, and that is final! I will just go out there and put an end to this right now. And if she gives me any argument, I will just put her over my shoulder and bring her in!"

Adam put his head down as he tried to hide his grin. Knowing how stubborn his girl was, this ought to be quite the battle of wills he thought, as he watched Ben open the door and slam it behind him.

Joe walked over and slapped Adam on the back. "Well older brother, how do you think this will end? Pa looked pretty determined, you know."

Adam grinned easily. "Well, if I was a betting man, I would put my money on Alissa."

"Five bucks?"

"You're on, little brother."

Ben opened the barn door slowly and walked in looking for Alissa. He finally found her at the back of the barn lying on a pile of straw, sound asleep with her dog curled lovingly around her. He just stood there for a moment taking it all in. It was obvious that she cared for this dog. And Ben would have to admit; now that he was all cleaned and brushed he was quite a fine looking dog. The dog looked up at Ben and growled low but also wagged his tail. It was as if he wasn't sure what he should do.

"It is alright, boy. I won't hurt you or this beautiful girl who has befriended you. You seem to have taken quite a liking to Alissa and I can understand why. She is mighty special to us too and I don't know what we would do without her in our lives, but it is time to take her inside. It is too cold out here tonight and I wouldn't want her to catch a cold. So even though you are trying to keep her warm, I need to take her now."

Ben slowly reached over and started to pick up Alissa. At first Baron hesitated to move, but finally stood up and backed away, all the while never taking his eyes off of Ben. After Ben picked Alissa up and got her situated in his arms, he turned and headed for the barn door as Baron trotted right behind him. Baron followed him right up to the front door as Ben opened the door and headed inside with Baron barely an inch behind him. Everyone looked up at the sound of the door opening and couldn't believe their eyes. In walked Ben with a sleeping Alissa in his arms and close behind was her dog.

As Ben headed up the stairs Joe couldn't keep silent any longer. "Pa, what about the dog? Are you really going to let him sleep in the house?"

"Well, just for tonight. I just couldn't have our girl out in the cold barn all night, now could I? And I know if she woke up and saw her dog wasn't with her, she would just sneak out of the house and back to the barn. So that is the decision I have made. Do any of you have a problem with that?"

A chorus of "No sir," could be heard as Ben turned and headed down the hall with a rather large dog wagging its tail following close behind.

Adam walked over to Joe and held out his hand. "I told you I had my money on Alissa. I know how Pa is with her. He talks a good story, but when it is all said and done, he loves her and even though he won't admit it, he likes to spoil her to."

"Do you think he will let her keep him in her room after tonight, Adam?" Hoss asked, as he reached into the bowl of apples on the table and took a big bite.

"Well, Hoss, I am not sure but do you want to make a bet on it?"

Hoss let out a big chuckle. "No, brother, I am like you and put my money on Alissa every time.

The sound of laughter could be heard from downstairs as Ben pulled off Alissa's boots and pulled the quilt up over her shoulder. All the while Baron was watching Ben's every move very closely as he came and stood by the bed.

Ben reached over and scratched Baron behind his ear as he whispered so as not to wake Alissa. "You watch over her and keep her safe, boy."

Then after kissing Alissa's forehead, he quietly left the room and closed the door.

 **TBS**

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Hello readers, I am sure you thought I would never post a new chapter. I am so sorry it takes so long, but real life often gets in the way and I just haven't been able to write. I finally found some time and I hope you will enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think. ~ Sierra


	10. The Wedding Dress

The Road That Will Lead Me Home- Chapter 10

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Ben was heading for the barn when he stopped in the doorway and started watching Alissa work with her dog as he chuckled softly. It had been three weeks since Alissa had found Baron and convinced Adam to bring him home, and Ben was surprised at how quickly she had trained him to do so many different commands by using only hand gestures or a few words. It seemed as if Baron was so grateful to be found, that he would do anything to please her.

Joe was grabbing his hat off the rack as he noticed Ben had stopped in the doorway.

"What are you chuckling about, Pa?"

"I was just watching Alissa with her dog. It is amazing how well Baron follows her instructions. She sure has him well trained."

"Yeah, too bad she can't train Adam as well," Joe laughed, as he slapped Ben on the shoulder as they headed out the door.

Ben couldn't help but smile at Joe for his comment, and then watched Alissa as she stopped her training and told Baron to sit and stay as she walked over.

"You certainly have that dog well trained. I guess it is a good thing, as he has grown so much that he weighs more than you do now. And if he decided to jump up on you, he would easily take you down," Ben said smiling at Alissa, as she came to stand beside him.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that, Ben. He is as gentle as can be…just watch."

Alissa raised her hand and made a motion for Baron to come to her. He immediately came trotting over and sat down right in front of Alissa waiting for her next command. When she patted her chest and uttered the word "up," Ben's face suddenly lost its smile and quickly changed to panic as he watched Baron stand and put his front paws gently on Alissa's shoulders.

"Good boy my sweet, big, old Bear," Alissa laughed, as she hugged this huge dog, then told him to get down and go and lie down by the house.

Ben and Joe were both still in shock that the dog hadn't knocked Alissa over, as they watched Baron obey Alissa's command and go and lie down.

"How come he didn't knock you to the ground," Joe asked, as he started to check Alissa out to make sure she was all right.

"Oh, Joe, I am fine, quit your fussing. He is as gentle as can be with me. Now with a stranger, not so sure about that. I think he would put all his weight into it and probably would knock them down."

"Well, I for one am glad that dog knows us," Ben chuckled, as he gave Alissa a hug and started for the barn.

"Let's go, Joe. The work won't do itself you know."

"If only." Joe winked at Alissa then turned and followed Ben.

"Did you say something, Joe?"

"Nope, you're right Pa, time to get busy."

Alissa shook her head and laughed softly at Joe's comment. He always could make her laugh with his witty comebacks. It was a good thing Ben didn't hear what he said as he wouldn't be as amused as she was with Joe's humor.

Alissa turned and was starting to walk towards the house when she saw Adam come riding up.

"Hello my beautiful lady," Adam called out.

Then he removed his hat and slightly bowed from where he sat on Sport as he watched Alissa turn around to greet him.

Alissa curtsied and smiled up at her handsome cowboy. "So where have you been so early, Adam?"

"I had to go finish some final orders up at the lumber mill and I wanted to get it done early so I could take you to town. I do believe that today is an important day, is it not?"

Alissa grinned and came over and hugged Adam tightly after he dismounted Sport.

"Oh Adam, can you believe it, today is my final fitting for my wedding dress! It has taken so long for the dress to be absolutely perfect, and Miss Riley is going to finally finish with me today. She promised it will all come together, and I will be the most beautiful bride for my handsome groom. I am so excited as our wedding is only two weeks away…can you believe it?"

As Alissa looked up at Adam, she winked wickedly and teased, "Think you will be ready, cowboy?"

Adam leaned down and picked her up in his arms as he spun her around, then kissed her soundly. As he finally pulled away from her sweet lips, his hazel eyes twinkled.

"Damn right I am, little one. You will be lucky to leave the room for days."

"Adam Cartwright, you devil you, that's not what I meant. If your Father heard those words I…" But the rest of her words were silenced as Adam quickly brought his full lips down on hers and made her easily forget the rest of her comment.

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Three hours later Alissa was standing on a raised platform in front of a floor length mirror at Miss Riley's dress shop. It was all she could do to keep the tears from flowing as she looked in the mirror at her reflection. It seemed like it had been so long for this day to finally come with all the obstacles they had been through, but now it was here and she was in love with her beautiful wedding dress. It was everything she wanted her wedding dress to be.

When she first saw the pattern that Miss Riley had shown her, she wasn't sure the seamstress would be able to do all the changes she wanted. But Miss Riley had come through with the most amazing wedding dress Alissa had ever seen. And Miss Riley whole-heartedly agreed with Alissa as she finished pinning the hem of the dress.

"You my pet, will be the most exquisite bride with the loveliest wedding dress that Virginia City has ever seen. Of course, you are marrying the most handsome and sought after man in town, so naturally you must have the most special dress ever!"

After placing the last pin in the hem, Miss Riley stood and walked around Alissa smiling broadly.

Clapping her hands, she declared with delight, "Perfect, perfect! Now I will get the veil to finish this special creation I have designed."

As Alissa waited for Miss Riley to come back with her veil, she looked in the mirror at all the details on her dress. It had a high fitted neckline in delicate white lace with small pearl buttons in the back that went all the way down to her waist. The long tight fitting sleeves were also in the same delicate white lace that was at her neckline, and ended at her wrist with a pearl button on each wrist. The tight fitting bodice was made of taffeta, and started at the top of her bust line where the delicate lace ended, and extended to just below her waistline in a perfect V. In the front of her dress just below her waist, the taffeta was draped into three soft layers that were then gathered at the back of the dress to form a small bustle. The train cascaded from the bustle and extended into a small train. Exquisite four-inch long lace started right below the layers in the front of the dress and covered over the taffeta the rest of the way down the dress before ending at her feet.

Alissa felt a tear slide down her cheek as she slowly turned all the way around while looking in the mirror at this beautiful creation.

"This is going to be the best day of my life," she gushed, as she turned around again just to see the bustle in the back.

"And my train is just the right length! You out did yourself, Miss Riley," Alissa said smiling, as she watched her walking back in with the veil draped over her arm.

"I have the crowning glory now, my pet. This veil is perfect I think for your dress. Not too much to detract from your dress, but just right!"

Miss Riley held out the veil for Alissa to inspect before she placed it on her head.

"Oh, Miss Riley, the dainty faux pink and white roses on the headpiece that hold the veil are so special. I absolutely adore them!"

"I agree, I think it is just enough to draw attention to your lovely hair. The woman I employ does superior work and faux flowers are one of her specialties."

Alissa held the veil in her hands and nodded approvingly before she handed it back to Miss Riley. Then she stepped down from the platform so Miss Riley could place the veil on her head and adjust it. The veil was a very simple two-tier, cathedral length veil made from tulle. The first tier was shorter and would be the part that covered Alissa's face, while the long cathedral part of the veil would flow down her back and extend about a foot behind her. After Miss Riley finished adjusting the veil on her head, she went behind Alissa and gently pulled the long veil through her hands.

"Now start walking slowly and the veil will fall gracefully behind you as you walk."

Alissa did as she was told and Miss Riley squealed with delight. "It is perfection, my pet! You will be the talk of the town for years to come. Not only do you have on the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen, but your incredible beauty will make Adam Cartwright burst with pride that you will be his bride!"

Alissa grabbed Miss Riley's hands in hers and squeezed them.

"Thank you so much for making my day even more special than I could ever imagine with this splendid dress. I have to confess though; I love that man so much that I would marry him dressed in a gunnysack if I had too and be content. As long as we get married, that is all I care about because then my life will be complete."

"That is so sweet of you to say, Alissa, but I have to say, I am very glad you will be wearing this dress. And I am so happy and honored to have been a small part of what is going to be a glorious day for you. Now turn around so I can start to help you out of your dress so you can go and meet that handsome cowboy of yours," Miss Riley insisted, as she smiled warmly and started to undo the buttons at the back of Alissa's dress.

An hour later Adam and Alissa were riding back to the ranch when Alissa suddenly reached over and pulled up on the reins.

"Adam, I need to talk to you before we get home. I have been thinking about something to do with our wedding."

"Is something wrong? Is your dress not to your liking?"

"Oh heavens no! You will be blown away it is so gorgeous!"

Adam looked confused for a moment as he arched his eyebrow. "Now just how do you know the wind will be blowing on our wedding day?"

Alissa couldn't help but giggle as she lovingly touched his cheek with her hand. "Oh my love, I don't know how the weather will be…I sure hope it will be a nice sunny day."

"But you said…"

Alissa put her finger on Adam's lips to silence his words.

"It is just a saying that means you will be overwhelmed at how lovely my dress is going to be."

Adam took Alissa's hand in his and kissed it gently.

"Well that sure is an odd saying. But then so many things you say are odd," Adam chuckled, before looking intently into Alissa's ever changing green eyes.

"You do know my lovely, enchanting bride to be, I think you will look amazing in any dress you wear, because you are the most beautiful woman in all of Nevada!"

Alissa grinned playfully as she wrapped her arms around Adam's neck. "Just Nevada, what about the whole country?"

"That too, my love! Now stop talking and kiss me."

"Your wish is my command, cowboy," Alissa whispered, as she started to kiss Adam, but he suddenly pulled away.

"Oh really? My wish is your command…since when? Which reminds me, you do know there will be the part about obeying in the wedding vows?"

"Yes, I know," she said with a bit of a pout.

"I have been thinking about that part, and haven't decided on how I will handle it just yet. But that isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Whoa there, little one. What do you mean you haven't decided about that? It is part of the ceremony and…"

"I know, I know, Adam, but let's not talk about that right now. What I want to talk about is what I would like us to do a couple of days before the wedding."

Adam just shook his head as he grinned at his precocious bride to be. "Very well, what is it you wish to talk about?"

"I know the minister will perform the ceremony and the words will be very traditional and that is wonderful. But I want us to tell each other what is in our hearts too. I know we can't do that during the ceremony, so I thought if we went on a private picnic two days before the ceremony, then we could tell each other what we felt. It would be very special and just between the two of us. Do you think we could maybe do that?"

Adam flashed his dimpled smile before he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

"I think that would be a splendid idea! Just the two of us sharing our thoughts on how we feel about each other before we get married. It's perfect! But what made you think of this?"

"Well, I have seen other couples do this at their wedding ceremony and it is a very special moment for them."

"Really? Well that sure isn't anything I have ever heard of."

"I know, and I realize this and that is why I thought we could do ours privately before the ceremony."

"Well my love, that sounds perfect to me, and I can't wait till tonight when I can start writing my thoughts alone in my room. Now, are you ready to go? We need to get home before dark."

Alissa snuggled against Adam's shoulder and sighed contentedly.

"Yes, my knight in shinning armor, I am ready. So lead on sir knight!"

 **TBC**

* * *

Hello dear readers!

I bet by now you think I took a slow boat around the world as it has been soo long since I posted a new chapter. Well, I didn't go on a boat, but I have been very busy with real life. That and the fact that my muse left me big time, and I just couldn't get a new chapter written. So when a new reader found my stories and started at the begining of this series and let me know how much she enjoyed them, it motivated me! So I went back and reread some my stories and finally got my muse to peek out from under the desk and say, "Let's get going and get these two married...It is time!"

I hope my faithful readers are still here, and you will enjoy this new chapter and let me know what you think. Thanks ~ Sierra


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